Collected
by Mikell
Summary: Leonardo is captured by Hun, and sold to a collector of rare reptiles. Justin Keagan is determined to own the set, to pursue his dream of a "perfect" specimen. How far will he go to achieve his goals? How will the guys avoid Hun and get Leo back?COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1 Collected

**A/N: Stories are beginning to pile up in my files. *grin* So I'm starting this one early, before I finish posting _Finding Mikey_. **

**It's a bit darker in spots than my previous stories, and does include an OC character death, but as previous readers know, all my fics have happy endings. **

**Another big Thank You!! to _Raphfreak_, my beta-reader, and constant source of ideas for tormenting the guys and near-miss rescues. So, when you're ready to strangle me for what I've done to Leo and the others in this fic, just remember _It's all her fault_.  
And go read her fics, _Believe, No Matter What, _and _Combined Terror_, and harass her umercifully to update faster. ;-)  
**

**Like the many other authors here, I own nothing of value. No turtles of any description. *sigh* ****But I am grateful to those who do own the characters for the pleasure they've brought through their creations.**

**Reviews are welcome as always, and I always respond to signed reviews. :)  
**

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_Chapter 1 -Purchased-_

Justin Thomas Keagan watched the huge, blond, tattooed man approach with unruffled calm. _This had better be worth my time,_ he thought. His buyer's agent, John Densin had set up this meeting, assuring him that the man, Hun, had something special that Keagan would be interested in seeing for himself.

"I hear you're a collector of rare reptiles." The man's voice was deep, and smooth for such a rough-looking character.

"Yes." Justin didn't even try to keep the boredom out of his voice. What would it be this time? A new color morph? Heaven forbid, a "rare" two headed turtle or snake? Some other mutation, which held no interest beyond the oddity of its existence? Justin had seen it all. He was only interested in the truly rare, the unique, perfect specimen.

"How about turtles?"

Justin sighed. "What species?" He was certain now the man was wasting his time. He made a mental note to have a sharp word with John about this later.

"It's unique," said Hun. "Endangered. There are only four in the world."

"I'm listening." Justin barely contained a yawn.

Hun's eyes narrowed. "I don't think you understand, Mr. Keagan. This isn't an ordinary turtle. It's extremely intelligent, strong and violent. You're going to need restraints, and a cage that will take some abuse. Are you sure you can handle it?"

Justin's eyebrow rose at the implied insult. "Do you have something to show me, or not?"

"This way, Mr. Keagan."

Justin followed the man to the back of the warehouse, where a large area had been walled off into offices. Hun made his way down a row of doors, stopping at the last one on the left. Keagan noticed the heavy lock and the sturdy construction of the newly installed steel door. Hun twisted the key, opening the lock, and swung the door open.

Inside the office was a roughly eight-foot square cage, the type used by circuses to contain lions or bears for transport. It had no bottom, but Keagan noticed it had been firmly fastened to the concrete floor using inch-thick bolts.

Keagan drew a sharp breath in spite of himself. The creature was kneeling in a corner. Its shell was easily two feet wide. Its front legs were pulled behind its back in a position impossible for a normal turtle to obtain without injury. Its feet looked oddly deformed, too long, with two actual toes, rather than the stumpy, clawed pad of a normal turtle. Justin's breath caught in his throat.

_After all this time, could it be?_

"Would you like a closer look?" Hun was barely containing a triumphant smirk.

Keagan nodded. "Yes."

Hun unlocked the door, and preceded Keagan into the enclosure. He re-locked the door behind them with a sharp _click_.

The creature responded to the sound, picking up its head and scrambling to get its feet under it. Justin watched in amazement as the creature rose, balancing on its rear limbs.

_It's bipedal!_ The realization hit Justin like a pile driver. He felt his hands shaking. _Unique? This is the very creature I spotted in Mongolia. I missed an opportunity to capture it then. It seems like fate that I've been given a second chance at owning it._

"You say it's one of four?"

"The others are still… wild."

"Are they all like this?"

"Similar."

_Amazing. It resembles a trachemys scripta elegans, but I've never seen a slider, or any turtle, which was bipedal, or that reached this magnificent size. The bone structure, and musculature, it's almost…human._ Justin shook his head. He'd never been one to anthropomorphize.

The creature had managed to stand up, but it was forced to keep its knees slightly bent because of a length of chain running from its shackled wrists to a ring bolted to the floor.

"Are the chains necessary?" asked Justin, noticing with irritation the raw marks on the creature's wrists. If it were allowed to continue struggling against the restraints, its skin would be marred, perhaps permanently.

"Yes," said Hun shortly.

The creature stirred. It had not lifted its head, but there was an intensity in the way it stood, orienting on Hun's voice. Justin moved closer, observing the wide mouth and the rounded beak. His eyes narrowed as he saw the leather muzzle fitted over the creature's face, clamping its beak closed.

"It bites," said Hun, seeing the direction of his gaze.

Justin reached out, fascinated by the leathery green skin, and stroked his finger along the creature's bicep, tracing the clearly defined muscle. The creature jerked away, much more agile than Keagan had expected. For the first time he saw why Hun had the thing chained. The shackles at its feet kept it from moving far, but it seemed to have no trouble keeping its balance, despite the restraints. A low growl escaped its throat.

The creature lifted its head, orienting on Keagan as if it would look at him.

"It's blind!" Keagan's disgust and disappointment made his voice sharp.

"It's temporary," said Hun. "An unfortunate result of his capture. The creatures are incredibly difficult to capture and control. My men used blinding powder so it could be subdued."

_Fools! It could be permanently damaged._

"I've been assured that its eyesight will return, in time."

"The physical injuries do affect the price." Keagan stood back, examining the creature critically. He would have preferred the creature in top condition, but it was clearly the same animal he'd seen in Mongolia, several years ago. He could not allow this opportunity to pass him by.

Hun mentioned a sum that had Keagan shaking his head.

"It's damaged," he said flatly. "However, if you were able to acquire others of its kind, I would consider purchasing _undamaged_ specimens at that price."

Keagan's eyes never left the turtle. It was staring toward him with those sightless eyes now. Its hands twisted against the restraints, its knuckles going pale under its green skin as he and Hun dickered over the price.

Justin was struck anew by the almost-human expression of frustration the creature's expression seemed to take on. Something akin to a mix of fury and desperation clouded its features. Finally satisfied with the price, Hun turned to unlock the cage. While he waited, Justin flipped open his cell phone and dialed John Densin's number.

"John? I've made a rather large purchase. I'll need your help in transporting it. Yes, today. It will need to be removed as soon as possible. And contact Greg Matthews. I'll need a specialized containment unit until something suitable can be built."

Keagan leaned toward the creature, feeling slightly foolish, but unable to resist the impulse.

"Don't worry," he said softly. "We'll have you out of here soon."

***

Justin Keagan brushed his hand over the glass-fronted enclosure, smiling as the three-foot long blood python struck viciously, stopped by the thin glass separating him from his owner. Such spirit! Such patterns. Yes, the young python would grow into a fine specimen. He reached up and unlatched the lid, noticing the way the snake's eyes followed his movements, its tongue flickering out like a flame.

"Here you are. That's it, eat, and grow strong." He dropped the rat into the tank. It never even hit the carpet. Justin smiled. Some herp collectors fed live prey to their animals. Not him. He knew how easily a rat's teeth could scissor through scales, muscle and bone. He would not risk his prime specimens being damaged, their color patterns ruined by scars. No, his snakes were all fed on pre-killed prey. No one took better care of their collections than Justin Keagan.

"Mr. Keagan?"

"Yes, Delilah?"

"Greg Matthews is on line two, Sir. He says it's about the special enclosure you've ordered."

"I'll take it in my office."

"Yes, Sir."

"Matthews?"

"Justin!"

Justin grimaced, imagining Greg's buzzed-short crew cut and the five-o-clock shadow that seemed to always adorn the man's face. His too-wide grin would be flashing his yellowing teeth as he practically shouted down the line. Justin sometimes wondered why Greg bothered with a telephone. With his lung capacity, he could just as easily shout from across town and be clearly heard.

"What is it, Greg? I have specimens to feed."

"This enclosure you've ordered, Justin, are you sure this is right? Fifteen by thirty feet, with a fifteen-foot ceiling? And are you sure about the set up of the cage? You don't want the built-in branches, or the basking lights?

"No, those items won't be necessary. I have special plans for customizing the interior."

Justin could almost see Greg's frown of irritation. Greg liked to customize his own cages. It added to the prestige he carried as a dealer when people saw his enclosures housing a collection as fine as Justin's. Not to mention the additional profit customization added to the build.

"The dimensions are huge, even for an anaconda. Are you sure it needs to be this tall? The expense of the glass alone…"

"I'm positive, Greg. It's going to be a special holding cage. Don't worry, I'm aware of the cost."

"But, Justin, are you sure you want the bullet proof safety-glass? What do you plan on keeping, a komodo dragon? Even that wouldn't need glass this thick. A rhino couldn't break this stuff."

"Only the best is good enough for my collection, Greg." Justin forced a jovial note into his voice. This particular specimen had proven difficult to contain in the few days it had been in his possession. He'd already had to install a specialized cage to hold it temporarily. Justin hoped the bulletproof glass would be enough.

"All right, Justin, if you're sure you need this much cage. It must be quite an animal. When will you need the enclosure ready? I can have it delivered and set up for you in say, a week? There will be the extra handling costs, of course, but you've always wanted your enclosures installed as quickly as possible."

"That will be fine." Justin ignored the implied questions- what was he adding to his collection, and when would it arrive?

_Sorry, Greg. This specimen is too special to put on display for everyone to see. He is the crowning glory of my private collection, the first in a set. I do plan to collect them all, but I must be patient. Yes, patience is the key. I've waited this long. I can wait a little longer to achieve a goal this important._

Greg made more noises about the cost, and what on earth a cage like this could hold. Justin ignored him, deflecting his questions with evasive answers. Finally, frustrated but cordial, Greg rang off.

Justin set the phone down with a smile. _I know you too well, Greg. You never could keep anything to yourself. It's a pity, really, that my newest specimen must be kept secret, but I've spent so much time seeking it, hunting it through the deserts and the jungles after that first sighting three years ago in Mongolia. Ironic that the prize was brought to my hand through an ignorant gorilla like Hun. _

Justin wandered down the hallway, past the many glass-fronted enclosures. Each had its own independent ventilation system, constantly circulating fresh air and just the right humidity for the inhabitant.

Lizards basked on branches, specifically designed for their comfort. Snakes coiled in specially designed caves, or on thick layers of substrate, the material as close to their native habitat as could be found. Justin fingered the key hanging from his belt. He allowed himself the smallest of smiles as he slipped it into the concealed hole, and gave it a twist. The hidden door slid silently back, and in, an opening appearing out of what had seemed a solid wall.

Justin entered, pushing the button that sealed the door once again behind him. His eyes adjusted quickly to the dim light. He approached the recently installed cell slowly, giving the creature contained within plenty of time to hear his approach. Undue stress was not good for the animal's health, and it had reacted violently in the past to being startled, though now it seemed calm, almost to the point of indifference.

"It's nearly feeding time," Justin said soothingly. "What would you like today? Perhaps some fresh fruit?" The creature ignored him, turning its back to him and sitting facing the corner. Justin shook his head. "You'll be moved into better quarters as soon as possible," he said softly. Still no reaction.

Justin sighed. The creature was taking longer than he'd anticipated to adjust to his new surroundings. Justin had provided him plenty of quality food, water, the best medical attention, and stimulation, but the creature seemed to prefer solitude to any diversion.

_It's almost as if its sulking,_ thought Justin. _Of course, who knows what kind of abuse it suffered at the hands of Hun and his goons. I suppose I should be glad its eyesight will return. _

Doctor Johansson was the best of the best, that's why Justin trusted her with his most unique specimen. She'd been intrigued by the creature, and had taken blood samples, with Justin's permission, to study further.

She was nearly as angry as Justin himself over the damage to its eyes, but she assured him that, if the creature left the bandages alone, the eye-patches could be removed in as little as two weeks. His eyesight should be fully restored. Justin hoped she was right. The specimen was too rare, too unique, to risk having damaged. He shook his head, and sighed.

_That Hun is an idiot. Still, if he can get me more specimens like this one, he's worth his bulk in gold._


	2. Chapter 2 Intelligent

**A/N: Thank you all so much for your kind reviews! And many thanks to those optimistic souls who've added this to their story favorites! I hope it won't disappoint.  
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**Happy reading! :)  
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_Chapter 2 -Intelligent-  
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Hamato Leonardo ignored the man's banter, holding his silence. He ignored the noise as if it were the buzzing of a fly.

_New quarters? He means nothing but another cage. What I really want is to get out of here. Come on, guys, come and get me out. At least he doesn't seem interested in dissecting me. Yet._ Justin didn't leave just yet. Leo could feel the man's gaze on the back of his shell, the frustration radiating off him in waves.

"The doctor tells me your humanoid qualities mean you may be more intelligent than we first thought. You may even be able to cogitate…"

_No kidding, Sherlock._

"Perhaps learn to speak."

_Not to you, pal._

"Poor fellow. What did Hun do to you, to make you like this? Well, we'll soon set you straight. A proper environment, a good diet, you'll soon be up and moving about. Who knows? Maybe we'll be able to find a suitable female for you. The entire purpose of collecting is to further and better the species, after all…"

_You've got to be kidding._ Leo didn't allow his disgust to show. He remained stoic, facing the wall, unmoving. _Where exactly are you going to find a female mutant turtle, idiot?_

"If you don't begin producing waste soon, I'll have to get Doctor Johansson to examine you again. It's been almost four days." Frustration came through in Justin's voice. Leonardo just barely stopped himself from smirking.

_What am I supposed to do, use a litter pan? I may be in a cage, but I'm not living with that stink if I can help it._ _I suppose I could just speak up and tell you I'd like to get out of here and use a bathroom like a civilized person, but then you'd know what you're dealing with and I'd never have a chance to escape. _

"Well, putting you on a fruit-based diet should help that along," Justin was saying. "Especially since you don't seem fond of the commercial diets we've tried."

Leonardo controlled the shudder of disgust. _Pelleted turtle food? What do I look like? Oh, never mind._

"You're probably used to eating a wild diet, anyway."

_Pizza, Doritos, Mikey's cooking… yeah, that's about as wild as it gets._ _I sure could go for a sausage-and-mushroom pizza right now with extra cheese. And a bottle of Pepsi. And a chaser of hot tea…_

"I remember when I first saw you." Justin's voice was quiet, very close. Leonardo perked up, listening. If he could just orient on the man's voice… he hadn't actively tried to attack him through the sturdy bars of the cage, yet. Leonardo was finding blindness disconcerting. If he attacked the man, and escaped, how would he find his way out? And once outside, how would he get back into the sewers? Justin had taken pains, so far, to keep his existence a secret. The transport service had been the most frustrating experience of Leonardo's life.

_Densin_. The name was bitter in Leonardo's thoughts. The man had come himself, apparently catering to his best customer with personal service. He'd brought two silent helpers, from the feel of the hands on his shoulders they'd been rivals to Hun for size and sheer muscle mass.

They'd forced him to his knees, one on each side, holding his arms in place while Hun unlocked the shackles on his wrists. Leonardo hadn't had a chance to struggle. He was already weak from two days of being chained to a wall without food or water, and the muscles in his arms were screaming from their extended, awkward position.

Holding him steady, the men had begun wrapping something around his plastron, pinning his arms to his sides. Leonardo had begun to struggle then, grunting in his efforts to get loose, but it had been useless.

_I suppose I should be grateful that they weren't rough,_ he thought bitterly. _But it was so frustrating, not being able to fight back. I thought I'd suffocate under that wrapping, it was like a straight jacket. _

A shiver passed down Leo's spine as he remembered the feeling of helplessness as he was encased in the firm, slightly stretchy material. It was wrapped around him, covering even his legs like a cocoon.

He'd felt himself lifted, carried out of the warehouse. Leo'd felt the warmth of sunlight on his face, and panic made him wriggle even more wildly, fearing he'd be seen, out in the open. Hun's cruel laughter cut through the silence… silence. The warehouse was isolated, there had been no danger of an outsider spotting Leonardo. Or his brothers, for that matter. If they'd even known where to begin looking.

He'd been quickly transferred into the padded back of a large truck. He'd continued to fight against the restraints as he heard the door slam behind him and the engine rumble to life, but it was no use. Whatever the stuff was, it held him firmly. Leonardo had never been so afraid, so angry, and so discouraged in his life.

He'd been captured before, knocked out with a punch or a dart, to awaken in chains, but this was worse, so much worse, because he was aware of everything, of the hands restraining him, the jolt of the truck as it rolled forward, the moments which were taking him further and further from his family. He didn't even have the distraction of pain of blows being rained on him, or torture. Not that he _wanted_ to be tortured, but this… this was unbelievably frustrating.

_I almost wish he'd drugged me,_ thought Leo, and immediately hot shame poured over him. _What kind of coward am I? I wasn't even being hurt. It just made me feel so helpless, blind, bound, and muzzled like… like some kind of _animal._ That's all I am to this guy. An animal, a specimen, something to collect. Well, when my brothers find me, he'll find out he's collected more than he can handle._

He was so lost in the memory, he startled at the soft click of the door latch. He strained to listen, every muscle in his body tense. Leo heard movement on the soft peat covering the floor of the cage. Keagan had entered the cage! Was he insane? Leonardo wasn't bound, wasn't even muzzled now. He could easily attack the man.

Leo didn't move. What kind of trap was this? Without the use of his eyes, he couldn't see if the man was armed. No, he would wait, not attack in a blind fury, though every instinct in him wanted to leap to his feet and tear the man limb from limb.

"There, now, easy, big guy." Keagan's voice was soothing, gentle, as if he were speaking to a frightened animal. "I'm just going to set this tray down right here beside you, all right? Just take it easy now."

Leo twitched, his tension betraying him as he instinctively tried to look at the man approaching him from the side and slightly behind. He felt the air movement and heard the hitch in the man's breath as he jerked back, but the man didn't leave. Leo felt him move closer. He was almost touching his shell now. Leonardo sat absolutely still, waiting.

_This guy is nuts. I could go postal on him, tear him apart, and he walks in here as if it's a petting zoo. I think he's getting a little too relaxed around me. Well, let him. If he gets comfortable, it's just one more advantage I have when my eyesight comes back and I get out of here. If it comes back. Man I wish Don was here. That doctor woman Keagan brought in was creepy. Her hands were like ice. _

The turtle shivered involuntarily. The doctor had used the same restraining material to bind his limbs to a table while she examined him. Leo'd heard Keagan insisting that no sedatives or anesthesia were to be used. He remembered the feelings of utterly helpless terror, unable to even see what was going on around him, waiting to be cut into or stuck with needles, or worse, but the woman had only touched and poked and prodded. The worst moment came when he'd felt the prick of a needle in his arm, but he could only assume she'd merely taken a blood sample, since no burning pain coursed through his veins. She hadn't injected him with anything, as far as Leo could tell.

Leonardo felt the man's hand approaching, and held himself, tense, waiting, but Justin didn't touch him. Not yet.

He heard the scrape of metal against concrete as the man set the dish down. It was elevated on little legs, to keep the peat from mixing into the food. Leonardo could smell fresh mangos, pineapple, apples, papaya and bananas.

_Great. Now he thinks I'm a fruit eater. I suppose it's better than those disgusting pellets._

He made no move to touch the food. The man backed away a few steps, and Leo heard his clothing rustle as he squatted, watching him.

"Why don't you go ahead and eat, big guy? Come on, now, you know you want to. You must be hungry. Nobody's going to hurt you. I really don't want to have to get Doctor Johansson to come in to force-feed you, so why don't you eat? I have to _see_ you eat. I have to know how much you're eating, so I know you're not just burying it in the substrate and starving yourself."

The voice was soothing, reasonable. Leo could almost believe the man was friendly, meant him no harm. He could almost believe he would listen to reason.

_What if I just opened my mouth and talked to him?_ he thought. _Would he open the cage and let me out, let me go free? I can just see it now. _

"_Oh, sorry, this has all been a misunderstanding. I'm really a sentient being, not some animal you can add to your collection. Sorry and all, but I'd really like to go home now."_

_Somehow I don't think it would go over well._

Leonardo sat, silent and still, and waited. Justin didn't move, didn't speak again. The smell of the food was too much. Very slowly, Leo reached out. He felt through the dish, taking a bite-sized piece of banana in his fingers.

"Amazing," Justin whispered.

Leo was sorely tempted to toss the bit of fruit into the air and catch it the way Mikey did with popcorn, just to hear the man's reaction, but the blindness made him uncertain. If he were going to make a fool of himself by missing, he didn't want to do it in front of Keagan. Better to stick to his plan of making Keagan think he was nothing more than a unique, but dumb, animal.

He brought the fruit close to his face and sniffed it. He was marginally certain now that Keagan wouldn't slip drugs into his food. The food smelled all right, so Leo took a small, careful bite, chewing slowly. He heard Keagan breathe out a sigh of relief.

"Good, good."

_It's like he's praising a pet dog for performing well,_ thought Leo bitterly.

Leonardo finished the bit of banana, and reached again, this time selecting a piece of the mango. He hadn't had anything but water since Hun captured him, almost five days ago now. It was all he could do not to stick his face into the bowl and gobble the food, but he couldn't bring himself to such a display, even to convince Keagan he was an unintelligent animal. Above all, Leonardo strove for control. If he couldn't control his environment, he would control himself.

The man sat and waited while he finished every bit of the fruit in the bowl.

"I wonder how smart you really are," said the man softly. "I watched you last night. You didn't know I was still here, did you? I had Delilah work the door, so you'd think I'd left."

Leonardo froze.

_Oh shell_.

"I saw you pick up that bowl and drink from it. You use your hands like a person, did you know that? Did you learn that from observing humans? Imitation is one of the signs of intelligence, you know."

_Shell,_ thought Leo. _This guy's sneaky. I guess I'm glad I wasn't practicing my katas while he was watching. I'll have to be more careful. If he sees me training, he'll know for sure I'm not just an animal. But if I don't train, I'll lose muscle fast…_

"Doctor Johansson believes you're intelligent. Perhaps I'll have to have another talk with Hun about you."

Chills ran down Leonardo's spine. Would Hun reveal his intellect and ability to speak to Keagan? It was about a fifty-fifty chance. Hun would enjoy making as much trouble for Leonardo as possible, but he wouldn't want to risk Keagan letting him go, either.

"I'm just going to take this bowl now. I bet you're thirsty, aren't you?" He heard the man get up. "I've got something else here for you." Leonardo tensed, waiting. The man approached slowly. "Just take it easy, now. You understand what I'm saying, I'm almost sure of it." Leonardo felt the man's breath near his face, and flinched away. He hadn't realized Keagan had gotten quite that close.

"I'm going to put something in your hand, ok? I'm not going to hurt you, just take it easy…"

If Keagan hadn't told Leo he was about to touch him, Leonardo might have ripped the man's head off out of pure instinct. As it was, he only flinched violently when something smooth and cool brushed the back of his hand.

_What the shell?_ Leo scrambled back, away from Keagan. _Whatever that is, you're not putting any more restraints on me!_

"Take it easy, now," soothed Keagan. Leo could hear the man's footsteps approaching slowly. Leo backed up, pressing his shell against the back wall of his cage. He could feel himself trembling, and tried to stop.

"Here, let me give this to you."

_Shell, no!_

Keagan caught Leo's wrist. Leo instinctively tried to pull away, but the man's grip was surprisingly strong. He felt the smooth, cool item pressed against his palm. He tried to bend his wrist back, to escape before anything could be fastened to him, but Keagan pressed the item insistently against Leo's palm. The shape registered in Leonardo's mind, and his fingers closed around it.

_A water bottle?_

"There now. I'll take the top off for you," said Keagan, feeling the shocked turtle relax under his grip. Leo felt and heard the plastic top being removed. He stood, holding the bottle in his hand, wondering what Keagan wanted from him.

"I saw you drink from that bowl," said Keagan. "I bet you can drink from a bottle as easily."

_He wants to see exactly how smart I am,_ thought Leonardo. _Well, I'm not a sideshow. Forget it, buddy._

Leonardo let the bottle drop, and heard an annoyed grunt from Keagan, and the smack of plastic on skin as Keagan caught the bottle.

_Well, he's got decent reflexes,_ thought Leo.

He edged away from the man, keeping to the side of the enclosure so he could feel the wall against the side of his shell. He backed up until he'd reached another corner, and crouched there, tense, waiting for whatever Keagan would do next.

"I'm betting you're more than smart enough to handle a water bottle," the man said softly. "You'll have to drink sometime. Don't fight me, turtle. You won't win."

_Want to bet?_

Leonardo sank down to the peat, assuming his habitual position, and began to meditate, blocking out Keagan's frustrated sigh.


	3. Chapter 3 Contention

**A/N: The lyrics to the song Raph's listening to belong to Mr. Loaf. heh. If you _don't_ know Mr. Loaf, I suggest you get yourself a life.**

**Ok, ok, I'm KIDDING. (partly, anyway) heh. The song is Meatloaf's Dancing Through the Night. I claim absolutely no ownership in his sad genius. Nor do I own any turtles, bipedal or otherwise. *sigh***

**Read and review, please! And cyber-cookies to the many faithful readers who've been reviewing this fic already! I'm sincerely touched by the kindness you've shown.  
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_Chapter 3 -Contention-  
~~~_

"He's been gone over a week, Don."

"I _know_, Raph. What do you want from me?"

"Can't you go on that computer and _find_ him?"

"Raph, you _know_ it doesn't work that way."

"Well we gotta do _something!_" Raphael punctuated his shout with a heavy fist crashing down on the table beside his brother. Donatello leapt to his feet, glaring at his older brother.

"Raph, what the _shell_ is wrong with you?"

For an instant, it seemed Raph would punch him. Don met his eyes steadily, daring him to swing, almost welcoming the blow.

Raph turned away, and stormed off to the dojo. Soon the sounds of his fists crashing into his well-worn punching bag could be heard throughout the Lair. Donatello let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, and stalked off to his laboratory. He clicked on the computer, drumming his fingers as he waited impatiently for it to boot up.

_I don't know what I'm looking for. I've already hacked into the Foot's computer base. Not that it was hard, they're so broken up with out Shredder there's hardly any security anymore. And I've checked Bishop's files, and even hunted down Stockman. No one has Leo. At least they're not posting a blog about it._

"Hey, bro." Michelangelo's soft voice made Don jump and spin around, nearly falling out of his chair.

"Mikey! Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Sorry. Hey, you know Raph's just worried about Leo, right?"

Don sighed. "Yeah, Mikey, I know. We all are."

"So… have you found anything yet?"

"No, Mikey."

"I'm goin' out." Raph snarled.

"Raph, wait. I'm coming with you," called Michelangelo.

"Me, too." Don stood up. "Maybe we can find something…" _And none of us should go out alone,_ he added silently, grabbing his bo.

"Awright, but you guys will have to keep up," growled Raph.

It was a minor miracle he'd even waited for them, Don reflected. But then, Raph's usually volcanic temper had been dulled ever since the night Leo disappeared.

_He's probably feeling guilty,_ thought Don. _But it's not like it was the first time Leo went out for a run after fighting with Raph. They're always fighting, and at least one of them almost always ends up storming out and taking to the rooftops alone to blow off some steam. It's just that this time, Leo didn't come back. _

_How does a five-foot tall, two hundred pound turtle just _vanish_? Leo, where the shell are you, bro?_

Raphael waited impatiently for his brothers, fidgeting in the doorway.

_Why the shell did I say I'd wait for them, anyway? I can cover more territory on my own. They'll just slow me down. Don with his common sense, and Mikey wanting to stop for a pizza every third block… I should just go._

But somehow, meeting Donatello's eyes, he just couldn't do it. Raph sighed, remembering another set of darker brown eyes, burning into his with frustration and anger.

***

_"Raph! Can't you turn that down?" Leonarndo shouted at his brother through the closed door. Raphael ignored him, focusing on Meatloaf's screaming guitar._

_**Nothing really rocks, and nothing really rolls, and nothing's really worth it at all…**_

_"Raphael! Leo shouted again. Raph swung the door open just as he raised his fist to pound again. Raphael's amber eyes narrowed. He glared at Leo._

_"What?"_

**_Baby you're the only thing in this old world that's good and pure and right… And wherever you go, whenever you go, there's always gonna be some light…_**

_"Can't you turn that music down? I'm trying to meditate!"_

_"I like it loud."_

_"Raphael!" Leonardo's dark eyes flashed with irritation. "You have no consideration for anyone else, do you? You're so hotheaded!"_

"_What? I can't hear you, Fearless!" _

_A vein in Leo's forehead pulsed in time to the music. "I said, TURN IT DOWN!" Raph glared at his brother, and turned to the stereo. He smirked as he cranked the music up a notch._

**…_dancin' through the night with you…_**

_"I like it loud, Leo. What's your problem?"_

_ "You."_

_"Get over it, Leo."_

_ "I'm going out for a run."_

_"You do that, Fearless. Be sure not to hit your head on the way out."_

_Leo grabbed his katanas and slipped then on his shell before straightening his __mask. He was gone before Raph's door closed._

_***  
_

It was the last time Raphael had seen his brother. And the last words weren't even clever, let alone loving. He hadn't said goodbye, hadn't said he loved him… None of the words he should have said to his oldest brother.

Sure, they fought all the time, but Leo was his _brother_. He'd bring him home, somehow. He'd find him. He needed a second chance, to tell Leo how much he cared about him, how sorry he was. He really wanted to tell Leo how much he missed fighting with him.

_Aw, shell, Leo. You gotta come home, Bro. You just gotta. We're comin' for you, Leo. No matter where you are, no matter how many ninjas, scientists or government nut-jobs we've gotta go through to get you back, we're comin'. Just hang on, bro._

Michelangelo tucked his nunchucks into his belt. Raph wouldn't wait long. He glanced at Don, but his chocolate-brown eyes were unreadable.

In the shadow, Don's eyes looked so much like Leo's darker ones, Mikey did a double-take, thinking for an instant he had seen his oldest brother's ghost in the shadow of Don's face.

***

"_You shouldn't go out alone, Mike."_

"_Aw, Leo, I was just goin' on a pizza run. Chill."_

"_Mikey, it's dangerous. Next time, one of us will go with you."_

"_I didn't know you cared." Michelangelo smirked, and Leo shook his head in irritation._

"_It's not a joke, Michelangelo."_

"_I'm not a hatchling, Leo. I can take care of myself."_

"_I know, bro."_

"_You and Raph go out alone all the time."_

"_That's different.  
"How?"_

_Leo'd gotten that stubborn look then, crossing his arms over his plastron._

"_It just is!"_

"_Why? Because you're older? A better ninja?"_

"_It's different because…"_

"_Why? Because you're afraid I'll pick a fight with fifty Foot ninjas in a dark alley? You should be talkin' to Raph, not me."_

"_It's different because I need to know you're safe, Mike." Leo's eyes had filled with pain. "I couldn't stand it if Bishop or Stockman got hold of you. I need you to stay the way you are, safe and…"_

"_And what, Leo?" Mikey said so softly he wasn't even sure Leonardo would hear. _

"_And innocent."_

_Michelangelo, for once, didn't let the first smart-aleck remark that came into his head flow naturally out his mouth. He just grinned, and shook his head. _

"_Bro, you don't have to worry about me."_

"_But I do, Mike. It's what I do."_

_***_

Michelangelo shook his head, as if he could dislodge the memory of the expression in Leonardo's eyes. _Guess we shoulda worried a little more about you, Bro. We're gonna get you back, Leo, and you're never leavin' this Lair without me again._

"Come _on_, Don. Let's go." Raph's voice was rising with impatience.

"Coming."

The three brothers flew over the rooftops. They didn't talk much, just ran, feeling the wind in their faces, the gravely surface under their feet. Each was lost in his own thoughts as they raced like shadowy wraiths through the night, listening, searching for any trace of their missing brother. Raphael heard the sounds first, and, slowing his mad pace, he skidded to a stop, and knelt at the edge of a roof, peering down into the darkness. Michelangelo nearly careened into his brother's shell as he made his less than graceful stop. Donatello halted a good ten paces behind Raph, and slipped to his side, his feet silent on the rooftop.

The three knelt, looking down at the scene in the alley below. A crowd of Purple Dragons stood in a ring around two young women. One girl's shirt was torn from her shoulder to across her chest. She was clinging to the edges, holding them up, crying.

"Back off, scumbags!" screamed her friend. Laughter peppered the group as they moved forward, like a pack, toward the women.

"Whatsa matter, little girl, don'tcha wanna play?" taunted one of the gang members. He lunged forward, making the girls jump back. Their frightened screams tore through the night air. Michelangelo saw Raphael's knuckles go pale on his sai handles. Before any of them could speak, he was dropping down the fire escape. Donatello glanced at Mikey and shrugged, with a resigned "come on" look. Michelangelo followed his brothers, stealing down the fire escape unseen by the crowd below.

Mikey counted twenty gang members. Not good odds, with only the three of them, but he sure wasn't about to let his hot-headed brother go in alone. He'd already lost one brother, he wouldn't risk losing another.

Raph plowed into the crowd without finesse.

"I… have… had… _enough_… a… you… punks!" he roared, punctuating each word with a punch. Don's bo swung left, then right, and Mikey's nunchucks fairly whistled through the air. Bodies soon littered the pavement. Just as Michelangelo was beginning to think this was an easy victory, about thirty more Purple Dragons swarmed into the alley behind them.

_Oh shell_, thought Mikey.

"Don, Raph, we got company!" he yelled.

"I see 'em, Mike," called Don. Mikey noticed his purple band was torn, and blood dripped from a cut above his eye. Raph's eyes were practically glowing in the dim light, his face twisted into a growling smile. "Bring it on."

Michelangelo shook his head, grunting as a gang member's flying kick connected with his thigh. Sometimes Raph was just a little too gung ho for their collective good. A quick punch, and the Purple Dragon who'd kicked him joined his cohorts on the ground. Michelangelo glanced over his shoulder to check on his brothers, and his heart skipped a beat. A shadow loomed in the alley opening, Mt. Everest on two legs.

_Hun_. _Oh, shell._

The huge man waded through the fight, parting the gang members as if they were the Red Sea and he held Moses' staff. He had a smug grin on his face. Michelangelo was not reassured by that smile.

"Hey, Hun, when did you come out to play? I thought yer momma didn't let you go out after dark!" taunted Raphael. Hun ignored him. He zeroed in on Michelangelo, actually shoving one of his own gang members aside to reach for Mikey's shell.

"Eeeep!" Michelangelo squealed, but had the presence of mind to swing his nunchuck at the meaty paw.

_Crack!_ Hun jerked back, shaking his hand as if it'd been slapped. Michelangelo stared at his nunchuck, his mouth falling open. It had broken clean in two. Hun laughed, then, sending ice streaming down the back of the turtle's shell. He reached again, his thick fingers brushing the edge of Mikey's plastron.

It was about then that Raphael leapt with a roar, landing squarely on Hun's back and wrapping his arms around the giant's throat.

"You leave my brother _alone!_" screamed Raph. Hun spun around, trying to dislodge the furious turtle, but Raph hung on. Needing all his strength to keep from being flung off, Raph couldn't get the leverage he needed to drive his sais into Hun's chest. Hun spun around, faster and faster, with Raph hanging off him like a flag on a pole.

Mikey almost laughed at the sight of his brother nearly parallel in the air. Almost. He struck out again with his nunchucks, catching Hun in the leg. Hun grunted at the impact, but it was Don who brought him down, with a well-placed thrust of his bo staff.

Hun went down with a crash. Michelangelo looked up instinctively to see if the minor earthquake had shattered windows in the buildings on either side. Raphael picked himself up from the ground where he'd rolled, and punched two gang members out as they rushed him.

Mikey _did_ laugh then. The fight was nearly finished. They'd get out intact once more. They'd find Leo, he could feel it. The team would be complete, soon.

Stars exploded in Michelangelo's vision, and he staggered as the blow registered in his dazed mind. _Dudes, uncool, hitting a turtle from behind_, he thought, staggering.

"I told you, no damage!" roared Hun, lumbering to his feet. He was furious. Mikey ducked as the ham-hand swung, and Hun struck one of his own gang members, dropping him as if he'd been pole-axed.

"EEEP! DON, RAPH, HEEELP!" screamed Mikey as he felt something grab his shell and _lift him off his feet_. Hun had gotten a hold of him this time. Mikey kicked, squirming.

"Fall back!" cried Hun. "We've got what we came for. Fall back." Mikey felt him start to run down the alley.

_Crash_.

Mikey hit the ground, shell first. Vaguely, as if from a great distance, he heard Hun howling with pain.

"Come on, Bro. Let's get you outta here." Raphael's voice was close to his ear. Mikey was lifted up again, but this time he was tossed over a hard shoulder, a familiar, strong arm clamping over the backs of his knees to hold him in place as his brother jumped up the fire escape as if he wasn't carrying a hundred-and-seventy pound turtle over his shoulder.

_Oh shell, I'm gonna be sick… better not puke on Raph, he'll drop me right off the side of the building…_

They were flying again, racing across the rooftops. Raphael seemed to have no trouble making the same insane leaps with his brother cradled over his shoulder.

_Weeee…Don't drop me, bro. Please… I won't prank you for a week… a month… a year, I swear. Just don't let me fall…_

When the motion stopped and Michelangelo felt himself lowered to the roof, he rolled to one side.

"Sorry," he mumbled, and lost what was left of the pizza he'd eaten for dinner.

"Oh, gross, Mikey!" Raphael jumped back, disgusted.

"Sorry… didn't wanna… puke… on yer… shell…"

"I'd'a dropped ya," growled Raph.

"I know."

"What was _that_ all about?" Donatello's voice rose with frustration as he leaned over their younger brother. Pulling a penlight from his belt, he shone it into Michelangelo's eyes. Mikey turned his face away with a groan.

"Mike, stay with me, Bro. You've got a concussion. That dude whacked you in the head with a baseball bat."

"Hun… grabbed…"

"Yeah, Mike, we saw. The mountain man grabbed yer shell. What was he doin', Don? Why would he grab Mikey like that?"

Donatello shook his head, tucking the light back into his belt.

"I don't know, Raph."

"It was like he was tryin' to turtle-nap him. But why? What would he want with Mikey?"

"It's my... cutting wit and... rugged good looks."

Raphael's hand twitched, but he didn't slap Michelangelo for once. "Bonehead."

"It's a good thing Mike has a hard head," said Don, his eye-ridge rising. "Come on, guys, we've got to get Mikey home."

"I'm not goin' home yet."

"Raph, please…"

"Don, I ain't goin' home until I find something. Some sign of Leo."

Michelangelo watched the exchange, his head swiveling as if he were watching a tennis match.

_No. No, Bro, you can't go out there alone. Hun tried to take me. What if he gets you next time? _

"Raph," he croaked, trying to push the grogginess from his cluttered mind. "Don't go."

"I've got to, Mikey. Don't worry."

"I have to, Raph. Somebody's got to, with Leo…"

Tears filled Mikey's eyes.

"I'll be fine, Mike." Amber eyes met blue. "I'll come home. I promise."

"Raph…"

"I promise." A dark-green hand squeezed Mikey's shoulder, and he was gone.

Donatello sighed. "Come on, Mike. Let's get you home." Meeting Michelangelo's tear-filled eyes, he sighed again. "All right. I'll take you home, and then I'll come back out after Raph, ok? Don't worry, Mikey. I'll watch his back."

Michelangelo nodded. "It's what we do, Bro," he whispered. "It's what we do."


	4. Chapter 4 Tour

**A/N: Ah, now, dear reader you discover the depth of Justin's twisted mind. Sorry, Leo. I've promised happy endings, remember, but I said nothing about the beginnings or middles!**

* * *

Chapter 4 -Tour-  
~~~

"You'll notice that the patterns on this specimen are particularly striking…" Justine Keagan motioned toward the enclosure as the small group pressed closer to get a good look at the multi faceted snake. "By very particular genetic selection and controlling the temperature of the substrate in which the eggs were incubated, we were not only able to produce this spectacular morph, we also choose to have a large clutch of female snakes. The morph is connected to the y-chromosome…"

One particular young woman was watching the snake in the enclosure, her head cocked to one side, as if it were the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen. There was a look of almost… longing, in her eyes. Justin didn't comment, but he vowed to watch her. He moved off down the hall, closely followed by the class of college herpetology students.

"Sir, what do you think of the San Diego Zoo's breeding program?"

"A complete and total waste of time," said Justin. "There are more than enough of the common species already in existence. Why create more? I am only interested in breeding truly unique specimens, in furthering the good of the species as a whole…"

He noticed out of the corner of his eye that the young woman was hanging on his every word. Pride swelled his chest. Yes, it was good to be admired.

_And such a nice-looking young woman, too._ Justin vowed to look into the girl's background. He was always interested in collecting the finest, the best, the most perfect specimen.

***

Leonardo strained, listening. He could hear voices faintly through the walls. He listened desperately for Raph's rough shout, for Mikey's enthusiastic battle cry, for the _crack_ of Don's bo, but he was disappointed, again. The sounds moved off, leaving only silence. Leo sighed and began running through the basic katas. He knew he was risking a lot. Keagan could have the place under surveillance. But he had not given any indication so far of watching Leo except when he was actually in the room. If he was careful, very careful, it should be safe.

Besides, Leo was bored out of his shell. The simple room offered little in the way of entertainment, and even Leonardo could only spend so many hours meditating before he was afraid he'd lose himself in the spiritual plane. Finishing his katas, Leo stood at one end of the cage, and conducted a series of flips. The first time he'd tried it, he'd miscalculated and made solid contact with the other end of the cage. Ow. He wouldn't do that again. Now he knew the dimensions of the cage so well, he could see it in his mind's eye.

Leo froze, hearing the now-familiar scrape of a key turning in a lock. He went to the corner of the cage and sat, facing the wall, deliberately slowing his breathing as if he had been sitting there all day. He heard Keagan enter, but made no move to acknowledge the man's presence.

"Still sulking, I see." Keagan sighed. "I've brought you some more water."

Leonardo didn't move. _Water_. He hadn't been offered another bowl since he'd refused the bottle. He hadn't had so much as a sip in almost forty hours. The exercise had left him feeling dizzy from dehydration. He sat, unrepentant, as he heard Keagan enter the cage.

"I know you must be thirsty," said Keagan. "And I know you can do this. Why so stubborn?" He approached Leonardo from behind. Leo sat, stiff with tension, and tried to appear completely relaxed. He felt the man's hand on his shell. Still he didn't move.

"Here." Keagan held the bottle to Leo's beak. Leo jerked back, startled. "Easy! Easy, there, big guy. You know I'm not going to hurt you," soothed Keagan. "Just drink. You can do it." He tipped the bottle, letting some of the water pour into Leonardo's mouth before he could jerk away again.

Leo sucked the water into his mouth almost involuntarily, greedily lapping at the droplets. Keagan held the bottle patiently. Leo pulled away, realizing he was letting the man give him water from a bottle like a little child. He burned with humiliation. How could he have let his control slip that way?

"Ok," said Keagan. "You win. Obviously you're not ready to try drinking from a bottle yet. We'll go back to the bowl. There's no sense in letting you dehydrate." The man left the room, leaving Leonardo alone with his dark, self-incriminating thoughts.

It was over two hours before Leonardo heard the key rasp in the lock a second time.

"Are you sure we won't need to sedate him for this, Justin? He was quite combative the first time I examined him…"

"He hasn't touched the bandages, Karen. It's almost as if he understands we're trying to help him. I've entered the enclosure myself several times over the past few days, with no trouble."

"Well, you know I trust your judgment, Justin when it comes to the behaviors of your collection. But I'd feel better if you kept this syringe ready just in case. It's a muscle relaxant, not a sedative. It would paralyze him temporarily, and it doesn't have any of the side-effects of the usual anesthesia."

"I'll only use it as a last resort, Karen. I don't want to risk this one."

"I know. I don't want to risk harm to it, either, but I don't want it injuring itself if it tries to fight us."

Leonardo heard the cage door open, and footsteps approaching. He was on his feet in an instant, backing into a corner, alarmed. What the shell did they want with him now?

_Karen… The vet! Oh, shell, what's she doing here? I've been eating like a good little specimen. I've even produced waste, as disgusting as it is to have that smelly little heap in the corner. Burying it in the peat helps, but not much. At least he shovels it out twice a day. Still, disgusting._

Leo stood tense, waiting, as the humans approached.

"He doesn't look very cooperative, Justin."

"Don't worry, Karen. He's just frightened. Who knows what Hun did to him? He probably associates humans with pain."

_You've got that right, buddy. And if you don't stay the shell away from me, you'll associate turtles with pain, too._

"Now, just take it easy… We're not going to hurt you, big fellow. Karen's going to take off the patches, and we're going to see how your eyes are doing. Just take it easy now, that's a boy…"

Leonardo relaxed slightly. He'd sometimes used the same soothing tone himself when he'd had to assist an injured, but terrified human after fighting off whatever low-lifes had attacked. Still, he waited, tense, for the humans to jump him, or try to stick him with the needle.

"Let me try," said the woman.

_Karen. Her name is Karen. Hiya, doc, nice to meet you when I'm not strapped down to some cold exam table…_

"Here now, hold still," she was saying. "I just want to undo this bandage…" Leonardo froze as delicate fingers touched the back of his skull. Every instinct was screaming at him to fight, to lash out, to make a mad dash for the door, but he resisted. He knew he was cornered, and he also knew he had to hold himself together if he was going to have a reasonable chance to escape. He was badly hindered without the use of his eyes.

_Ok, lady, you keep your needles to yourself, and I'll let you take this blasted bandage off my eyes without trying to rip your hands off, have we got a deal?_

Leonardo flinched as cool fingers touched his skin. The bandages loosened, and unwound slowly. The light grew brighter as each layer of bandage was peeled away.

_Ah, ow. The light's too bright._ Leonardo slowly blinked. At first, everything was white and grey, moving shapes but without color or definition. For a moment, Leonardo panicked.

_I'm blind… I can't see a thing. I thought she said my vision would come back… Oh no. How'm I gonna get out of here if I can't see? Even if the guys come for me, what good will I be to them? How can I lead if I'm blind?_

"Take it easy, now… Here, Justin, hold his head so I can get these drops…"

The first drop stung Leo's eye. He turned away from the hands grasping his chin, but the grip only tightened, holding him in place. Leo was tempted to fight, but remembered the syringe. He forced himself to stay limp, unresisting. Another cold drop on the other side, and more stinging. He blinked rapidly, trying to make sense out of what they were doing to him.

_Donny, I swear I will never complain again about anything you do to me. I will sit still and let you stitch me up and set my bones and re-locate my shoulder without so much as a moan. At least I know you've always got my best interests at heart, and your hands aren't so darn cold!_

A whimper nearly escaped Leo as he turned his head from side to side. Finally he pushed the restraining hands away, unable to bear another moment of Keagan's touch. He flinched, backing away, but Keagan didn't stick him with the needle. He simply let him go. Leo sank back against the wall, disoriented. The blurring was making him sick to his stomach. He blinked again, and caught the first flash of color.

Hope surged in his chest. He kept blinking, slowly, trying to force his eyes to focus. A man swam into view. He was tall and broad-shouldered, but not a giant. He had medium-brown hair and hazel eyes which regarded Leo with a clinical detachment.

"He's calming down. He should be fine in a day or two." Leo swung his gaze to peer at the woman. She had shoulder-length blonde hair and deep brown eyes.

"In a moment I'll check his pupil reactions."

"How?" the man spoke, and Leonardo recognized Keagan's voice.

_So I finally have a face to go with the voice of my host. Good. Now I know who to kick into the middle of next week when I get out of here,_ thought Leonardo. His anger was half-hearted, though. He was just so grateful to see _anything_. The woman shone a small penlight into his eyes.

"His pupil reactions are perfect. Shall we take the samples while I'm here?"

_Samples?! What samples? What is she talking about? If she thinks she's cutting anything out of me, she'd better have more than one of those syringes handy…_

"No. He's stressed enough. I'll make another appointment next week. Have you had time to analyze the blood yet?"

"Y-es, but it's odd," said the woman slowly. She glanced at Leonardo again. "If I didn't know better, I'd swear the samples were contaminated somehow."

"Contaminated?"

"Yes. The blood is… it's almost as if it was _mixed_ with human blood. But the cells aren't _quite_ human. There are some basic differences at the genetic level."

"Are you saying it's… mutated somehow? A genetic splice? Could the creature have been _created_?" Anger and disgust were apparent in the man's voice. "I paid a great deal of money for him. I was not told he was a lab experiment gone wrong."

The woman was shaking her head. "No. There's no evidence that he was created in a laboratory. The marriage of human and turtle DNA is too perfect, far more advanced than anything we could hope to reproduce in a lab. No, I'm quite positive he's not the result of gene splicing or surgical modification."

"Well, what do the findings mean?"

"I'll need more time, Justin, and some samples of his genetic material. Can you bring in a female, perhaps a large turtle, to, um, stimulate him? It would be less stressful than taking a sample with a hypodermic."

Justin was shaking his head. "I can't risk it. He's far too valuable. No. We'll get the sample you need, doctor. For this, I'll allow the anesthesia. When he's fully recovered and stronger."

_What the shell are they talking about? Hypodermic… isn't that a… needle? And samples? Figures. Here comes the dissection. I should've known this guy was just another nut-job. It's a good thing I didn't try talking to him. He'd probably want to cut open my throat and see how my vocal cords work. I've got to get out of here soon. As soon as my eyes stop watering…_

"Let's leave him for now, doctor. He'll need some time to re-orient now that his sight has come back," Justin was saying.

_That's right. Go away and leave me alone for a while. How about forever?_

"I'll come back and examine him next week. We can plan to collect the samples then."

"That sounds good."

_No, it sounds like a terrible idea. _

Justin looked into Leo's eyes, and for an instant, man and turtle held one another's gaze.

"You know, Karen, if I didn't know better, I'd swear he was just about to say something," he said softly.

The woman laughed. "Oh, Justin, don't be silly. Turtles can't talk."

* * *

**A/N: Hahaha! Little does she know... Poor woman.  
*evil grin***


	5. Chapter 5 A Scrap of Blue

**A/N: Good news. Power's back on, and the guy who hit the pole is fine.**

A bit of brotherly fluff in this chap, and a clue. Read and review, por favor.

* * *

_Chapter 5 -A Scrap of Blue-  
~~~_

"How're you feeling, Mikey?"

"Like I've gone three rounds with Casey's baseball bat."

"Don't go to sleep, Mike. Open your eyes."

"I'm tired, Donny."

"Mikey, you've got a concussion. No sleeping."

"…Ok."

"Michelangelo!"

Mikey's eyes opened wide at Splinter's sharp tone. He instinctively winced. The use of his full name in that voice was usually followed by a sharp _crack_ from a solid walking stick.

"Can you keep him awake, Sensei? He's got a concussion."

"Yes, Donatello. Go, now, and find Raphael. He should not be out alone."

"I agree, Sensei. I believe tonight's fight was a trap."

"What do you mean, Donatello?" Splinter's tail twitched, the only indication of his surprise.

Donatello frowned. "Well, the girls… even though one girl's shirt was ripped, neither of them looked bruised or hurt in any way. It's not like the Purple Dragons to just terrorize without striking. They're pretty hands-on." Splinter was nodding.

"And the fight itself. I mean, we were handling things pretty easily. Maybe a little _too_ easily. It doesn't seem that the three of us should've been able to take on that many Dragons. And, Sensei, Mikey's head was our only real injury. It was almost as if they were… holding back, trying _not_ to hurt us."

"A wise person knows his enemy, Donatello."

"Yes, Sensei, and that's what I mean. We've fought the Purple Dragons on many occasions. I've never known them to fight like this. It was almost as if they were… being careful. But why would they care if they injured us? And why did Hun grab Mikey and try to carry him off? It just doesn't make sense."

"Perhaps this has something to do with Leonardo's disappearance, my son."

"It's possible, Sensei. Do you think Hun could've turtle-napped Leo? But why? Why not kill him, and us, outright?"

"I do not know, my son. But with this knowledge, it concerns me that your brother is alone above ground. Go, Donatello. Bring him home." The urgency in the old rat's voice made Donatello look up and meet his eyes. "I do not wish to lose another son." said Splinter so softly Don almost didn't hear.

"I'll bring him home, Sensei. And together, we will bring Leonardo home as well. I give you my word."

Splinter grasped his son's forearm. Donatello laid his hand on his sensei's shoulder, and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Be careful, my son," said Splinter.

"Hai, Sensei." Don turned and left the Lair in search of his hotheaded older brother.

It took Donatello long enough to find Raphael that he was starting to worry when he came to a stop a few buildings away from the water tower.

_Where could he have gone? It wouldn't be like Raph to hit the bars, not with Leo missing. He should be searching, not risking exposure by going among humans. I checked Casey's, and April's, but both apartments were dark and quiet and there was no sign of Raph. He wouldn't crash on April's couch without letting us know where he was going to be. Maybe I'd better contact him with the shell-cell._

Normally Don didn't like to call his brothers while they were on patrol, in case they were in a delicate situation, hiding in the shadows, where a ringing cell phone could give them away and possibly cause them harm. But he'd been searching the rooftops and alleyways for the red-banded turtle for over an hour now, and he was beginning to worry.

When Don heard the faint ring of Raph's phone, he nearly jumped out of his shell.

"Raph?" he called softly into the night.

"Whatdaya want, Donnie?" The voice came clearly over the cell.

"Where are you, bro?" asked Don, feeling rather foolish. He rotated slowly in place, scanning the rooftops.

"Right here, Brainiac." Don spotted a movement near the water tower. To anyone else, it might have been a shadow, moving slightly in the wind, but to Don, it was as if Raph had waved a huge flag.

"I'm coming." Don snapped the phone shut. With a couple of flying leaps, he was standing in front of his brother. Raph was leaning back against one of the tower's supports, his legs bent, his forearms casually resting on his knees.

Donatello cocked his head, regarding his brother for a moment before walking over and sitting down, leaning back against the other support. They sat in silence for a long time.

"How's Mikey?"

"Splinter's with him, keeping him awake."

"Is he gonna be ok?"

"Yeah. Mike's got a hard head."

Raph snorted. "Dat's fer sure."

There was another long stretch of silence. Donatello waited, knowing his brother wanted something more. He would speak when he was ready, but not before.

"Donny?"

"Yeah, Raph?"

"I… I shouldn'ta yelled at ya before. Yer doin' all ya can."

"It's ok, bro."

"No, it's not. Ya know what the last words I said to Leo were? 'Don't let da door hit ya on yer way out.' It's not ok, Don."

"Raph… We're going to get him back."

"Yeah…"

"Come on. Master Splinter's worried."

"Let's make one more sweep, Don. I… I can't go in just yet."

"Ok."

Raphael rolled forward and leapt to his feet, landing lightly. He held out his arm to Don. Don grinned and grabbed his brother's wrist, letting Raph haul him up. He let Raphael take the lead, just pacing him as he headed down to the warehouse district.

At first, Don didn't think he was taking any particular route, then he noticed they were nearing the docks.

"Raph," he said urgently. His red-banded brother shot him a look over his shoulder that told Don Raphael knew exactly what he was doing. Don reached out and caught his arm as they darted across a rooftop, stopping him. Raphael swung around, his familiar glare already smoldering.

"Raph, we already got our shells kicked once tonight. Do you really want to go looking for another fight?"

"He tried to take Mikey, Don. I ain't gonna just let that go."

"There are only two of us. Hun'd pulverize us."

"I'm goin', Don."

"Raph… Do you know what Splinter said to me before I left tonight?"

"No, Don, what'd he say?" Raph crossed his arms over his plastron, glaring darker than ever.

"He said he doesn't want to lose another son. He asked me to bring you home," said Don quietly. "I know you're upset about Leo. We _all_ are. But you can't help him if you get yourself killed. Raph… I can't do this alone. I can't get Leo back. I can't help Mikey deal with him being gone. I need you."

Don met Raph's amber glare steadily.

Raph looked away first, turning away with a growl. "I can't _stand_ it, Don. We gotta get him back. We just gotta."

"We will, Raph. You know Leo. He's tough. He can take care of himself."

"…Yeah. Fearless has a shell like a rock." Raph's voice cracked. Don touched his arm tentatively, and was almost bowled over when Raph turned around and wrapped his arms around him. Don instinctively lifted his hands in defense, but his older brother's arms weren't crushing. Slowly, Don wrapped his arms around Raph's shell, and just held him. He could feel Raph trembling.

After a few seconds, Raph broke loose and turned away. Don caught a glitter of tears on his cheek. He stood quietly for a long moment, shaken by Raph's rare show of emotion, letting his brother collect himself.

_He's really blaming himself for Leo's disappearance,_ thought Don. Aloud, he said, "Come on, Raph. Let's go home. I need to check on Mikey."

"Yeah, I'm comin', Brainiac. Let's go make sure his brains ain't fell out yet."

Raph followed Don this time as they headed back. They were nearing the neighborhood where they'd fought the Purple Dragons when Don stopped so suddenly Raph nearly crashed into him.

"Don! What the shell!"

"Hold on a second. I…"

"Whatsa matter wit' you? Ya look like you seen a ghost or somet'in'."

"Hold on."

Donatello dropped down into the alley, his feet making no noise on the gritty pavement. Slowly, he walked over to the fence. He could see clearly in his mind two young women cowering there, ringed by Purple Dragons.

Now the alley was silent and abandoned, with only a few brownish splatters and smears where their enemies' blood had been spilt to show a battle had taken place. The first lightening of the sky had given just enough natural light to the scene to allow Don's eye to catch a trace of familiar blue, a bare scrap of cloth caught in the links of the fence.

Tenderly, as if it were a delicate flower petal, Donatello plucked the bit of silk. He held it in his fingers, feeling the material. He closed his eyes. _Leo._

"Whatcha got, Donnie?"

Donatello turned, tears clouding his vision, and held out his hand, the blue bit cradled in his palm like a precious jewel.

"Is dat…"

Donatello nodded. "I think so, Raph. But how'd it get here?"

"Mebbe 'cause Leo was here?"

"I… I don't know, Raph. It doesn't make sense, any of it. The fight tonight… it felt wrong. Didn't you notice?"

Raphael nodded slowly. "Yeah. It was too easy, like none of 'em wanted to fight back"

"And Mikey's concussion was the only injury," said Donatello.

"Why'd Hun try an' grab Mikey, anyway?"

"I don't know. None of this makes sense."

"Do ya t'ink Hun has Leo?"

"I don't know. I just don't know."

"We gotta get 'im back, Don."

"Raph, wait!" Don grabbed his brother's arm before he could streak off down the alley.

"Fer what, Don? If Hun has Leo…"

"_If_ Hun has Leo. We need a plan."

"Plans are Leo's thing, Don. Mine's _doin'_ somet'in'!"

"We're a team." Donatello stood up, and faced his brother, squarely blocking his path. "Leo went out alone, and look where it got him. Do you really want Mikey to lose you, too?"

"Dat's not fair, Don." Raph glared, but stood his ground.

"It's not fair to us if you go off by yourself and disappear like Leo did! _Dammit_, Raph, we need you!"

Raphael's eye ridges rose at his younger brother's use of language. It wasn't like Don to swear. "Ok, Don. Let's go home an' plan. Ya can use dat computer of yers to do somet'in' clever and find out if Hun has Leo. But after dat, I'm goin' in. Hun is _mine._"

Donatello let out the breath he hadn't known he was holding. He put his hand on his brother's shoulder, feeling as if he'd just run a marathon. "Come on, Raph. Let's go home."

"I'm right behind ya, Donny. Lead the way."


	6. Chapter 6 Exercise

**A/N: Well, I've been in hiding because of the cliffy in Finding Mikey's last chapter... Hmm I think I may stay in the safehouse a bit longer, after posting this chap.  
Leo, I am _so, so_ sorry. **

**Read and review, please! Unless you're green, have a shell, and are wearing weapons designed to chop obnoxious authors into pizza topping.  
**

* * *

_Chapter 6 -Exercise-  
~~~_

Leonardo reveled in staring about the cage, noticing the rich brown of the peat under his feet, the steel-grey of the bars, and the crimson of the wall that made up the back of the cage. He pressed his palms against it, feeling the wall for weak spots, but it was some sort of plated metal, unyielding.

A thorough examination of the room outside the cage told him this enclosure had been added into an already secure room. The walls were all made of the same metal plating. A door had Leonardo staring, longingly, wishing he could get out of the cage. A door he could knock down, take off its hinges with a solid body-block with his shell. Iron cage bars were far less forgiving. Leo examined every corner, staring as hard as he could, but to his great relief he saw no surveillance cameras.

He worked through his katas confidently now, knowing Keagan wasn't secretly watching. It felt good to stretch his muscles, but the size of the cage limited his ability to exercise. Leonardo came to a halt at the front wall of the cage, and grasped the bars. He leaned his sweating forehead against the bars and shook them in frustration. They were as solid, as unmoving, as ever.

_Click_. Leonardo let go of the bars and backed away as the door swung open. Justin entered, followed by another man. Leo caught sight of a short hall, which seemed to end in a solid wall, before Keagan closed the door behind them.

The man smiled, walking toward the cage. "It's good to see you up and about," he said, using that same, soothing tone. The second man stood gaping.

"This is him?"

"Of course."

"His condition's already improved."

Leonardo tensed, wondering what was going on. Was Justin showing him off? Was this another potential buyer? Well, they wouldn't take him without a fight. He wasn't going to be moved again, lessening the chances of Donnie using his computer to track him down, finding him by some miracle of technology.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes. I'll go in first. He's beginning to trust me. You can hand the things to me when I'm ready." Keagan opened the door, making soothing motions with his hands. The other man stood outside the cage, watching Leonardo warily.

Leo noticed he was holding a pouch of some sort. _What the shell do you want now?_ he thought, wary. He kept an eye on Keagan, but didn't see a syringe or weapon in the man's hands. He backed away as Keagan approached.

"It's ok, big guy. We're just going to take you out of here for a little while. Give you a chance to stretch your legs. Doctor Johansson wants to test your physical endurance…"

Leo backed away. _Test my endurance? You mean she wants to stick needles in me and see how much I can take before I start screaming. No, thanks very much. I think I like this cage after all…_

"Easy, now, easy," soothed Justin, watching Leonardo's expression. "We're just going to put you on the treadmill. You need exercise. You can't sit in this cage all the time, now can you?"

Leonardo relaxed slightly. _Oh, a treadmill. I can go along with that. As long as she doesn't think she's sticking needles in me. Anything to get out of this cage. Maybe I'll get a chance to get away..._

He let Justin approach, keeping a wary eye on the other man. Justin took hold of Leo's wrist, and led him toward the door.

"Ok, John, give me the straps," he said, keeping his tone gentle and non-threatening. Leonardo jerked away as if he'd been hit with an electric shock.

_Oh, shell no! You can take your treadmill and shove it up your…_

"Easy, now, easy…"

"Do you need the syringe?"

"No, not yet… Give me a minute. He'll calm down. He's just nervous about leaving the enclosure, that's all. He's been safe in here."

"Justin…"

_Needle? Crud. If I fight him, he'll just use that muscle relaxant. Maybe I can play keep-away. _Leonardo backed away, evading Justin's grasp. Justin eased toward him, a half-smile on his face. Leo saw the man's eyes flicker, and he dodged just as he lunged to grab his wrist, landing lightly on the other side of the cage.

"Justin, did that turtle just _jump_?" Leo spared John a glance. The man's voice was familiar… Densin! Leonardo growled low in his throat. The buyer's agent from the warehouse. "Maybe I'd better call one of the boys in. We can subdue him."

"Not yet, John. I don't want him to feel attacked."

_Yeah, John. Just keep your goons out of here. I'd hate to have to damage them._

"Now, turtle," Keagan was saying reasonably. "You need exercise. We're going to take you out of here one way or another. John, get the straps out. Maybe if he sees them he'll see that we're not going to hurt him."

"I think you're giving him too much credit, Justin," grumbled John. "He's impressive, yes, but he's just an animal."

"I believe he's more intelligent than anything I've collected before," said Justin quietly. "Never underestimate animal intelligence, John. They're quite often much smarter than we give them credit for." Densin grumbled something unintelligible, and dug around in the pouch, pulling out a mass of leather straps. Leonardo kept a wary eye on him while edging away from Keagan.

_And just what do you think you're going to do with that?_

"See, we're not going to hurt you, big guy," Keagan said soothingly.

_You've got that right. You're not going to touch me._

"Justin…"

Keagan walked over to the door and leaned close to Densin. Densin's eyes never left Leonardo. Leo crouched in the back of the cage, as far from the men as he could get. He watched them through narrowed eyes. He didn't see Densin slip something into Keagan's hand. Keagan straightened, sighing.

"All right, big guy, just take it easy," he said softly. Densin followed him into the cage, closing the door behind him. Leonardo crouched, preparing himself to spring as the men approached, hemming him into the corner. With his attention divided, Leo took his eyes off Keagan for a split second. That was all it took. Keagan lunged forward, and Leonardo felt a sharp jab in his upper thigh. He glanced down, growling low in his throat, as Keagan emptied a small syringe into the muscle. Leonardo took one step forward and fell heavily onto his knees. Densin caught his shell, turning him as he fell so at least he didn't land face-first.

Leonardo lay, furious and helpless, swearing mentally, and waited for darkness to claim him. Keagan stood over him, shaking his head sorrowfully.

_What the shell?_ thought Leo. _Why isn't this stuff knocking me out? And why can't I move?_

"I hated to do that."

"Doctor Johansson said it won't have any lasting effect."

"I know. But I hate injecting him with any drugs. We don't know enough about his physiology yet."

"How long before it wears off?"

"Only a few minutes. Let's get the harness on."

The men worked quickly, buckling padded leather cuffs around Leonardo's wrists, elbows and ankles. Short lengths of chain connected the straps around his wrists and elbows, running across his plastron and shell in a circle, keeping his arms pinned to his sides. The cuffs around his ankles were connected together with another short chain, leaving only about a foot-and-a-half slack between them.

"That should do it," said Justin.

Leonardo willed himself to move. As Justin buckled the last strap into place, he felt a twitch in his hand.

_Not that it does me any good now_, he thought bitterly. Slowly, movement returned to his fingers and toes. He wriggled, willing his legs and arms to respond.

"Good, it's wearing off already." Justin sounded relieved.

_It's good to know you care._

"Come on. Let's get him up." Keagan grasped the side of Leo's shell. After a glance at Leo's scowl, Densin leaned down and caught the other side. Together, they lifted, setting Leo on his feet. He swayed for a moment, feeling the strength return to his limbs. He twisted, trying to break free of the men's grasp, but the attempt was half-hearted. He still didn't have full coordination.

The two men frog-marched him toward the door. Leo started to struggle as the relaxant wore off, but with his arms pinned and his leg movement limited, he couldn't do much. He growled with frustration.

"Easy, now," said Justin. Leonardo wanted to stuff the straps down the man's throat. "We're just going down the hall a bit…" They half-led, half carried him through the door. Justin pushed a button on the wall, and the wall seemed to separate and slide away. Leo was dragged through the door and into a plush hallway. His eyes widened.

Glass-fronted enclosures lined the hall. Some were enormous, stretching from floor to ceiling. Others were smaller. All were occupied by the most striking variety of snakes and lizards Leonardo had ever seen. A blood python struck at the glass as they passed. Justin smiled.

"It's not feeding time yet," he said. Down the hall, and through another door. Leonardo recoiled at the scent of disinfectant.

_A lab… Oh shell…_

Justin's grip tightened on his shell. The men forced the newly-struggling turtle through the door, not without some difficulty.

"What's wrong with him?" gasped out Denisen as Leo twisted, bashing him into the wall with the edge of his shell.

"Karen examined him when I got him here. He's probably remembering being strapped down." Justin caught Leonardo's shell with both hands from behind, and pulled backward, unbalancing him. Leo tried to bend his knees, to get his center of gravity back, but his feet slipped on the smooth tile, and he was tipped backward. The muscle relaxant had mostly worn off, but Leo's vision blurred, and the room seemed to spin.

The man shoved him forward, through another set of doors, away from the exam table, much to Leonardo's relief. The next room had a thin carpet, and looked like a modified weight room. A large treadmill stood in one corner, and various weights and straps adorned the shelves. Justin pushed Leonardo toward the treadmill.

Leo, seeing the treadmill, relaxed slightly. _It's not a table. I'm not being strapped down. Nobody's got needles or scalpels… I can run on a treadmill, if that's all he wants. Shell, it'll be good to stretch my legs._

He stepped willingly up onto the belt. Justin's eyebrows rose in surprise, and he quickly fastened the wrist-cuffs to the sides of the machine before pushing a button to turn it on. He held a hand on Leo's shell, and looked surprised when Leonardo started walking without losing his balance.

"Well I'll be. It's almost as if he's used one before," he said.

"I thought Hun collected him from the wild."

"So did I. I'd like to talk to Hun again when he calls you with the next specimen."

"Do you think he'll deliver?"

"He claims there are three more. I told him they are to arrive undamaged."

"Do you trust him?"

"No, but he's greedy and he was able to capture this one with minimal damage."

Leonardo's heart froze in his chest. Hun was after the guys? He imagined Raph, locked in a cage, being fed chopped bits of fruit. Leonardo almost smiled at the thought of what Raphael would do if offered a bowl of fruit.

_Mikey… Mikey'd go nuts. And Don… without electronics to tinker with, he'd surely go out of his mind. I can't let this happen. I can't let him collect us like we're some sort of… items to be coveted and locked away. I've got to _do_ something. But what? _

"Can you handle him from here, Justin? I've got an appointment this afternoon…"

"Sure, John, I've got it under control now."

"All right. I'll let you know if Hun contacts me, or if I find out anymore about these turtles."

"Good, good. If we can cut out the middle man, the damage to the specimens can be reduced."

"I'll let you know." Densin left the room, leaving Leo alone with Justin Keagan.

_All right, enough of these games. I can't let him just "collect" the others._

Leonardo gave a little jump, landing with both feet balanced on the edge of the treadmill. The belt moved on, but he was able to stand still, balanced. The chain between his legs didn't allow him enough space to straddle the moving belt. He turned his head expectantly toward Keagan.

Keagan stood, his mouth gaping open. "How'd you do that?"

"It's not that difficult."

If Keagan's jaw dropped any lower, it would have landed squarely on the floor.

_He'll pass out if he doesn't remember to breathe soon._

"D… did… did you…"

"Yeah. I can talk, Keagan. Now, shut this thing off. I'm getting tired of standing here."

Keagan stared. "Doctor Johansson insists you get at least an hour of exercise. This is for your own good."

"Listen, I don't give a _flip_ what that woman wants. Shut. This. Damn. Thing. Off. I need to talk to you."

Keagan watched Leonardo for a long moment before crossing the room and touching the switch that stopped the belt. Leo sighed, straightening, and stretching his muscles.

"Listen, Keagan. You've been ripped off. I'm not an animal. I'm a mutant. Hun's jerking you around."

"What?"

"Keagan, you were cheated. I'm sorry about that, but you knew you were dealing with a crook when you met Hun. Now, get these straps off of me."

"No."

"What? Leonardo leveled his best glare on the man. Keagan's eyes were hard.

"No. You were expensive. And you're completely unique. Do you think just because you can imitate human speech that I'm going to let you go?"

Leonardo felt a chill. "_Imitate_?"

Keagan reached out, flicking the treadmill switch back on. Leonardo was so stunned, he nearly fell, but his instinctive balance saved him and he started walking again, keeping pace with the machine.

"You're insane," he spat at the man.

"Relax, turtle," said Keagan calmly. "I'll take good care of you."


	7. Chapter 7 Mikey

_Chapter 7 -Mikey-  
~~~_

Splinter's eyes glittered black in the candle-light. Donatello and Raphael had returned safely bearing a familiar blue scrap of fabric. Splinter laid it carefully on the ground in front of him, his gaze resting on it as if it could connect him to his eldest son. Slowly, he allowed the peace of the spiritual plane to wash over his mind. Reaching out once more, he searched, seeking any trace of Leonardo.

The familiar spirit hovered, Splinter could sense its presence, but when he tried to connect, it was as though his son were too far away to hear him… as if he were distracted somehow. Splinter drew closer, but the essence faded like fog in sunlight. The fleeting connection was broken. Splinter opened his eyes, a headache hovering.

_My son… Why can I not reach you? Of all my students, your practice of meditation and the spiritual arts of ninjitsu are the strongest. You should be able to connect with me, to communicate. What is blocking you, my son?_

Splinter rose, with a sigh, and pinched out the candles one by one. He lay down on the thin mattress, and closed his eyes, but sleep was a long time coming.

In the main part of the Lair, Michelangelo lay on the couch. He'd insisted on staying there rather than in his own bed or the medi-bed set up in Donatello's lab. Raphael waited until Mikey was sleeping before laying a blanket over his shoulders and going to bed.

He knew his little brother was trying to evade the nightmares that had plagued him since Leonardo'd disappeared, as if moving his sleeping place could trick them into passing him by. So far, it seemed to be working.

Raph lay in his hammock, snoring. Only his iron grip on his sais gave any indication that he was sleeping lightly enough to be awakened at any sound or touch. Donatello stared at his computer screen, reaching for a now-cold cup of coffee, and making a face as he took a sip. He glanced at the clock, and groaned. Yawning and stretching, he stood up, and headed to the kitchen to make a fresh pot of coffee.

_Might as well. It's near enough to morning, anyway. The Lair's too quiet without Leo here. He'd be training already. And probably yelling me for not getting to bed. Oh Leo, if you'd come home, I'd be tucked in by ten, every night. Well, most nights, anyway._

"Don?"

"Mornin' Raph."

"It's not mornin'. It's da middle of da night."

"Go back to bed, Raph."

"Nah, I'm up now." Raphael opened the fridge, grabbing a bottle of Mountain Dew.

"Raph, you shouldn't drink that stuff. It's bad for you."

"Yeah, and coffee-fueled all-nighters are a great basis for ninja training?"

Donatello met his brother's eyes and sighed. "I've been searching the 'net."

"Didja find anyt'ing?"

"Only a website for a guy who designs specialized cages for herp collectors."

"What collectors?"

"Herps. Reptiles. He posts photos of his custom designs. He's working on one right now. It doesn't say who the customer is, but he's building a fifteen foot long, by thirty foot wide, by fifteen foot tall glass enclosure."

"What does that have to do with Leo?"

"He's building it out of bullet-proof, inch-thick glass."

Raphael's eyes widened as comprehension filled his morning-fogged brain. "Do ya t'ink…"

"I don't know, Raph."

"A reptile _collector?_ Like, somebody'd want to keep Leo, like a _pet_?"

Donatello rubbed a hand over his head, as if he could brush away the headache that was beginning to form.

"It's a possibility, Raph."

"Well where is dis guy, dis builder? Let's go find him and make him tell who's got Leo." Raphael set the Mountain Dew on the table and pushed his chair back.

"Raph, wait. We don't know that this guy even knows where Leo is. We can't just go storming in…"

"Mebbe _you_ can't, Don, but _I_ can. It's the only lead we've got!"

"Well…"

"Donny." Raph's amber eyes flared.

"Ok, ok." Donatello held up his hands in surrender. "But wait, Raph. Let's not just go running in there. Who knows what kind of security this guy has? Let me find out where he lives, his personal apartment, ok? It'll be easier to catch him alone there. We shouldn't risk exposing ourselves to more people than necessary."

"Yeah, I see yer point, Don. Listen, just get 'im alone. I'll make 'im tell us where Leo is." Raphael twirled a sai in his fingers.

"Raph, you do realize he's got to be _breathing_ to tell us anything."

Raphael laughed, a cold, dry sound. "Yeah, Donny. Don't worry."

"We'll go tonight," said Donatello decisively. Raphael nodded, pleased with the plan. "That will give me time to find his personal address, and we can use the evening to sus it out, and figure out if he has any security systems I'll need to get us past."

"You get us in, Don, I'll handle da rest."

"Raph, it's possible he doesn't know anything."

"What're ya sayin', Don?" Raphael glared at his brother.

"I'm just saying, don't be too disappointed if it turns out to be nothing," said Donatello softly.

"Don't worry, bro."

Michelangelo tossed in his sleep, rolling over on the couch. It wasn't easy, with a shell in the way, but he didn't manage to fall off the edge.

_Leo was running, dashing down the alleyway as if the Shredder himself were after him… but wait, this was wrong, Leo never ran away. He stood and fought, his katanas flashing… Leo's katanas were gone. So was his mask, his pads, his belt. All gone._

"_Leo!" Mikey called, his cry echoing, lost, in the alley. Leo kept running. He glanced back over his shoulder, but his dark eyes were different, wrong somehow. No intelligence, no recognition lit those almost-black eyes. Only fear and instinct moved in his brother's expression._

"_Leo!" Mikey screamed the name now, running, desperate to catch his brother. Something gripped his shell, lifting him, pulling him back. Cold, cruel laughter filled his ears… Hun! Hun had him, and he'd grown! Shell, Mikey thought the guy was huge before, that was nothing to his size now. He towered over the streets, over Leo, over everything, lifting Mikey higher and higher. _

_A streak of green and red leapt at Hun… and bounced harmlessly off his side. A purple-banded turtle attacked grimly, and his bo snapped in two. Hun laughed as he swatted Don out of the way like an annoying insect. Donatello crashed to the ground, and lay very still. _

"_Raph! Don!" Mikey screamed again. Hun chuckled again, reaching down, and plucking Leonardo up. Leo screamed, the sound of a terrified animal…_

"Mikey! Mikey, wake up. Yer dreamin', bro. Wake up!"

"No! _Leo!_" Michelangelo's eyes popped open and he flailed wildly, falling off the couch with a crash.

Thick arms came around him, lifting him up, cradling him against a familiar plastron. "It's ok, Mikey. Take it easy, bro. I'm right here. It's ok." Michelangelo's arms wrapped as if of their own accord around Raphael's neck. He laid his cheek against his brother's chest, sobs shaking his shoulders.

"H…h..he didn't know me. And Hun… Hun got me… an' he hit Donny… an' Leo… Leo…"

"Mike, it was just a dream. Yer safe now, bro." Raphael's hand rubbed over Mikey's shell, soothing.

"It was so _real_, Raphie. And Leo, he looked… he…"

"Mike. It was a _dream_. It's ok. We're gonna get Leo back. Don t'inks he found somet'in' on da computer. Mebbe somebody who knows where Leo is."

"Donny?" Michelangelo sat up, releasing his older brother. He scrambled to his feet, slightly embarrassed. Don sighed, shooting Raphael a look. Raph shrugged.

"I _might_ have found something, Mike. A man who builds custom enclosures for reptile collectors has a specialized build posted on his website. It's huge, and he's building it from really strong materials. I have a theory that whoever he's building it for might have Leo."

"You mean, somebody put Leo in a _cage_?" The horror of the dream came flooding back, swamping Michelangelo. He sank onto the couch cushions and buried his face in his hands.

"Whatsa matter, Mikey?"

"In… in my dream. Leo was… he was like… he didn't know me." Mikey blurted out. "It was like… he wasn't Leo."

"Of course he wasn't Leo, bonehead. It was a nightmare," growled Raph. Donatello came over and sat down next to his distraught youngest brother.

"I…I know. But it was so _real_."

"Don't worry, Mike. We're going out tonight to… talk to this guy." Donatello looked at Raph over Mike's shoulder. "If he knows where Leo is, we'll find out. We're going to bring him home."

"I'm goin' too."

"Mikey, you just took a pretty hard hit on the head just yesterday. Maybe you should stay here with Master Splinter. Raph and I can handle this…"

"No! I'm going. You guys aren't going out there alone. We're a team." Michelangelo lifted his head. His blue eyes snapped with unaccustomed anger. "If somebody's put Leo in a cage, I'm goin' to help get him out."

"Ok, Mike," said Donatello. He stood up. "I'm going to find as much information as I can on this Matthews guy. Mike, why don't you fix some breakfast? Master Splinter will want us in the dojo soon."

"Ya t'ink he'll wanna train dis mornin'?" Raph looked at Donatello, his eye ridges rising.

"It gives him something to do," said Don lightly.

Raphael stared, then laughed. "True."

"You guys want eggs?"

"Sure, Mikey. Whatever you want."

"Sounds good to me."

Michelangelo headed into the kitchen. Donatello returned to his lab chair. Raphael watched them go, shaking his head. Mikey was so excitable. These dreams were getting worse.

_They'll stop when Leo gets home again_, thought Raph. _Bro, you'd better get back soon. If I have to wash Mikey's snot off my shell one more time…_ He shook his head, walking to the bathroom for a towel.

***

Raphael squatted next to the man's bed, and poked him in the arm with a sai.

"Wakey, wakey."

Greg Matthews twitched, opening his eyes. "Huh? What the…" He gasped as a blade was pressed to his throat.

"I _suggest_ ya lay still," growled a voice near his ear.

"I… I don't have any money here…" the man quavered.

"We don't want yer money," the voice grated out.

"Wh… what…"

"You're building a custom enclosure for one of your clients. We want to know who it's for." A second voice. Greg's eyes flickered toward the sound. He could just make out a figure standing in the corner of the room, a darker shape among the shadows.

"I… I don't know what…" The blade pressed down, threatening to break the skin.

"A name, Mr. Matthews. That's all we want." The shadowy figure was somehow more terrifying in its calm than the one holding the blade.

"Can't… client insists…"

"Ya won't be able ta build it if I slit yer throat," growled the voice next to him. Greg caught a glint of unnatural amber colored eyes in the dim light. His nerve broke, and he started to shake.

"Just don't kill me," he whimpered.

"A name, Matthews. We'll go, and you'll never hear any more from us." A promise hung in the calm tone. Greg almost believed him. Almost.

"Keagan. Justin Keagan. I don't know what he wants it for. Wouldn't tell me…" Gasping sobs shook the man as he babbled. "Please… please don't kill me…"

A tear trickled down his cheek, landing wetly in his ear. It was about then that he realized the blade was gone, and the room was empty. Greg Matthews lay on the bed for a long, fearful time before he dared to move.

He slammed the open window shut, and double checked all the locks before grabbing a suitcase from the closet and throwing things hastily in it. He didn't know what Keagan was mixed up in, but he wanted no part of it.

***

"Woooooo-hoo!" Michelangelo flew through the night, feeling as though he were floating as he leapt from one roof to the next. "Come on, Raphie, catch-me-if-you-can!"

"Mikey, ya idiot," panted Raph. He slowed, looking over his shoulder at their purple-banded brother.

Donatello shrugged. "I've got to get back to the Lair, and look this guy up."

"Go ahead, Donnie. I'll stay out with the lunatic fer a while."

"Ok, Raph. Be careful."

"Tell dat to da jumpin' jack."

"Heh. See you in a while. You've got your cell, right."

"Yeah, Donny. Don't worry. Just go find dis guy so we can go after Leo."

"I'll call you as soon as I find anything."

Raphael watched as his brother dropped down the fire escape, disappearing into a manhole in the alley below. He shook his head.

_If he was any more attached to that computer, we'd be buyin' rings and plannin' a weddin',_ he thought. Raphael looked up, scanning the rooftops. A scowl drew his brow down, and his eyes narrowed.

"Mikey?"

No answer. The roofs lay silent, as if waiting for something.

"Mikey, where are ya?"

Nothing.

"Dis ain't funny, Mike!" Raphael started running, jumping lightly to the next roof. There was no sign of his youngest brother. He transversed the roofs, shouting, his cries echoing through the night.

It was nearly four hours before Raphael came home. Donatello looked up from the computer screen as his eldest brother came through the door.

"I think I've found something. A Justin Keagan does have an extensive collection, he gives tours to the local college kids… Raph, bro, are you ok? Where's Mikey? _Raph? _Where's Mikey?"

"I… I couldn't… He's gone, Donny." Raphael's usually furious eyes were dull and cloudy with tears. "He's gone. I looked everywhere. I searched… All I found was dis."

Donatello stared. In his brother's hands were Mikey's nunchucks, and his shell-cell. It was smashed.

"Where…"

"In da alley, Don. Where we found dat piece of Leo's mask. I went back just now… I didn't t'ink of it sooner. Don… somebody took 'im."

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**A/N: Another cliff-hanger. Sorry.  
Reviews will bring Mikey home again!**

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	8. Chapter 8 Cooperation

**A/N: Umm... yeah. Still in hiding. Now Leo's mad at me, too. *sigh* I may have to change my name and move to Canada. I hear they don't have turtles there, just really big bears...**

**THANK YOU, Raphfreak, have I mentioned lately she's an amazing Beta and everyone should pester her to update her stories?**

**Also, thank you reviewers! You guys are the BOMB. *looks nervously over shoulder* Ok, let me re-phrase that... **

**Reviews are loved, as always.**

**

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**_Chapter 8 -Cooperation-  
~~~_

Hamato Leonardo was a very angry mutant turtle. He struggled against the restraints keeping his arms bound to his sides. The give in the straps only made his struggles more frustrating.

"Why are you fighting this, Turtle?" Keagan stood over him, making Leo feel threatened, helpless, and even more furious. "If you'd just cooperate, things would be so much easier. You could have a good life here. I provide all my specimens with the best of everything, medical care, food, environment…"

"My _name_ is Leonardo," snapped Leo. "Not _'Turtle'_."

"Fascinating… You _must_ have been owned before, to have been given a human name."

"My _father_ named me." growled Leo.

"Your father?" Keagan shook his head. "It's sad, how people anthropomorphize their pets…"

"I don't have an _owner_. I never have. I am _not_ a pet."

Leo twisted onto his side, lashing out at Keagan with his still-bound legs. The soft peat on the bottom of the cage slowed Leo's movement, and the man easily dodged. Leonardo rolled to his plastron, bunching his legs under himself, and sprang, landing on his feet. Keagan backed away, watching Leo.

"Amazing. Your agility… it's better than I'd dreamed."

"Take these things _off_, Keagan."

"I think not. Not yet. Not until you calm down."

Leonardo took a deep breath.

He'd run on the treadmill for over an hour, taking advantage of Keagan's insistence that he exercise. He'd let the man lead him back down the hall and into the cage, though every instinct in him balked at being locked back in. He'd waited for Keagan to remove the restraining harness.

When the man turned to leave the cage, without taking off the straps, Leonardo's patience snapped. He'd lunged at Keagan, only to find himself on his back in the peat, knocked down with one neat punch to his plastron, throwing him off-balance. Keagan had knelt then on Leo's chest, pinning him. Only when Leonardo stopped struggling had the man risen, releasing the suffocating pressure.

Now Leo stood, panting, and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly.

"Fine. I'm calm. Take them off."

Keagan smiled grimly. "You've got one chance to cooperate," he said, his voice taking on the soothing tone again, as if he were talking a wayward child down from a temper tantrum. "I'm going to go out and close the door. You come over and stand next to the bars. I'll release the straps. You stand still, and let me retrieve the harness, and I'll take it off, ok? If you resist, I'll have to resort to the drugs again. I really don't want to do that."

"Just take them off."

"Do you agree?"

"…Yes."

Leonardo watched as the man backed out of the cage. He waited until the door _clicked_ shut, and moved resignedly toward the bars. Keagan reached through the bars, loosening the shackles around Leonardo's ankles. He pulled the chain and cuffs out of the cage, setting them aside, before starting on the cuffs restraining Leo's arms. He removed the chains first, freeing Leo's arms, and pulled them out of reach, tossing them to the floor behind him. Then he unbuckled each of the cuffs.

Leonardo stood, rubbing his arms where it felt as though the cuffs were still there. "You are _not_ going to get those on me again," he growled.

Keagan shook his head. "I'm afraid we will need to use the restraints again if you're to be moved, at least until you show you can be cooperative. We'll do this in reverse for tomorrow's exercise session. You'll come to the side of the cage. I'll put the cuffs on, then let you out."

"I don't think so." Leonardo took a fighting stance, glaring at the man.

"You don't have a choice," said Keagan dryly. "You'll either cooperate or I'll use the drugs."

"You'll drug me every time you want to take me to exercise?"

"If that's what it takes."

Leonardo's scowl would have scorched paint. Keagan took an involuntary step back.

"I'll leave you to think about it," he said. "If you're as intelligent as you seem, you'll soon accept the benefits of cooperating." He turned and left the room, ignoring Leonardo's curse.

Leonardo sank into the peat, resisting the urge to throw himself at the bars or pace.

_I'll never go to the zoo again,_ he vowed. _Now I know why the animals pace. It's out of frustration as much as boredom._

Leo closed his eyes, and began to meditate.

_A white space… endless… peace… Candles flickering on the floor… a bit of blue fabric on the mat… blue… identity…_

_Master?_

_Leonardo! My son. Are you all right?_

_I'm fine, Master. I'm trapped, held in a cage. _

_Your brothers are searching for you, my son. Be strong._

_He wants to collect us, Sensei, keep us like animals in a zoo… warn them…_

_I know, Leonardo._

There was something in the old rat's emotions, some grief and fear and worry coming through the connection that filled Leonardo with dread. Fearful, he reached out through the connection.

_Sensei?_

_Don't worry, my son. We will find you. We will bring you home. We will be a family again. All of us._

Leonardo's eyes snapped open, the connecting snapping like a fragile silk thread. Tears slid down his cheeks. He bowed his head, resting his chin on his plastron.

_They're looking for me. Of course they are. Putting themselves in danger. What did Sensei mean, 'all of us'? Someone's hurt, or missing, and it's my fault. I should never have let Hun get the drop on me. I'm supposed to lead them, to take care of them…_

_I've led them this time all right. Right into a trap._

***

Justin Keagan dialed John Densin's phone first.

"Justin? What is it? Did something go wrong with the turtle?"

Keagan smiled. "No, John, everything's fine. He got a good workout, and I got him back in with no trouble at all. Listen, I want you to contact Hun. Tell him I'll double the price, if he can get me the other three, undamaged."

"Are you sure? You don't need to offer a thug like Hun more money. He'll get them for you at the price you agreed on."

"I want them undamaged," insisted Keagan. "Tell him it's contingent on them being in perfect condition when they get to me. No bruises, broken bones, or injuries of any kind."

"…All right, Justin, if that's what you want."

"I do. Thanks, John."

Next, he called Karen Johansson.

"Karen."

"Justin! I was about to call you. I've done some further analysis on that blood sample…"

"Good, good. Listen, I want you to come over and run some tests on my new specimen. His physical endurance is incredible, but I want to know the limits of his intelligence."

"Justin, you sound… are you all right?"

"Karen, I am better than I have ever been in my life. The thing is more intelligent than we'd dreamed. It can _imitate human speech._"

"What? Justin, that's ridiculous. Turtles don't have the vocal structure, let alone the brain capacity…"

"Karen, you've seen him. He's no ordinary turtle."

"That's the thing, Justin. I've been studying his DNA. It's possible that, if he can produce viable reproductive material, that it might be compatible with human DNA."

"You mean… Are you saying…?"

"Yes, Justin. It may be possible to create an embryo from a human ovum."

"A turtle/human hybrid?" Justin sat down in his office chair, leaning back. "Karen, he ran at over twenty-five miles per hour today, holding that pace for over an hour. I saw him leap to his feet from a completely prone position, without the use of his hands. His agility is incredible. This could be an opportunity of a lifetime. The perfect specimen…"

"Justin, as a hypothetical possibility, it's interesting, but to bring a viable embryo to implantation, you'd need a surrogate, not to mention getting around the government restrictions on in-vitro and embryonic research…"

"What? Oh… oh, sure, Karen. But what a fascinating possibility, you have to admit," said Justin smoothly. "Will you come by to administer that intelligence exam?"

"I can come next Tuesday."

"Fine, fine. I'll see you then."

Justin rang off, and sat back in his chair, steepling his fingers.

_Karen simply lacks imagination. I'll need someone else, someone who's not bound by outdated taboos… _

An image of a fresh, rounded face, dark hair and doe-brown eyes passed through Justin's memory. He smiled. _What was her name? Ah, yes, Josephine. Top of her class. Fascinated by herpetology and double-majoring in genetics. A perfect specimen. And, she's an orphan, attending college on a scholarship. Not close to her remaining family, with no close relatives left in the world. The poor thing is all alone. She needs someone to take her under their wing._

He pushed the button on the intercom on his desk.

"Delilah."

"Yes, Mr. Keagan?"

"Get the number of that college girl, Josephine. She was here with the tour last week. Call her, and tell her I have recently acquired a very special specimen. I'd like to invite her over for a private viewing."

"All right, Sir. Anything else?"

"No, Delilah. That will be perfect."


	9. Chapter 9 Hun

**A/N: For those reviewers who've been wondering what's going on with Mike, now you'll find out... Umm I think I'll stay in my nice, warm bomb shelter a bit longer, tho...**

**Reviews are loved, as always, and if you sign them I'll reply. :)**

**

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**_Chapter 9 -Hun-_  
~~~

Michelangelo groaned. _Shell_, his head hurt. He tried to roll over, but something was holding onto his arms. _Darn blanket, lemme go…_ he tugged, trying to loosen the tangled blankets from his arms, but they were tightly wound around his wrists.

_What? What's going on? Why can't I get loose? _He began to struggle, but froze as a cruel chuckle echoed through the room. _Raphie?_

Michelangelo opened his eyes a slit, then all the way as he took in the figure looming over him.

_Eeeep!_

Hun leaned forward. "Have a good sleep, _freak?_"

Mikey tried to open his mouth to reply, and found he couldn't. Something was fastened over his face, a leather muzzle that kept his mouth closed. Mikey squirmed, instinctively rubbing the buckle against the floor in a fruitless attempt to dislodge it. Hun laughed again, sending ice streaming through Michelangelo's veins. He flinched, waiting for the heavy boot to crash into him, but Hun stood still, regarding him with an angry glare.

"Lucky for you, Keagan wants you in one piece. For once, Turtle, you're worth more to me alive than dead."

_Keagan… Isn't that the guy Donny says has Leo? Oh man, this is bad. This is really bad..._

"Hun?"

"Whatdaya want?"

Michelangelo shifted his head, and saw a lanky, pale man standing in the doorway, the purple lizard snaking across his pimpled-marked features.

"Densin is on the phone for you. He says Keagan will pay twice as much for them if they're not marked up."

_Really? Great. I like the way this Keagan guy thinks._

Hun smiled. "Tell him we have another one for him. Better yet, bring me the phone. I'll tell him myself."

The man went out, and returned holding a cell phone. It all but disappeared in Hun's meaty paw.

"Mr. Densin? Yes, this is Hun. I've got another of the freaks… er, turtles, for Mr. Keagan. What? Yes, I heard. He's undamaged, in much better shape even than the first one. This one went down much more easily. Yes, yes, he's here now. When can I expect payment?" Hun turned away and walked out of the dim little room, closing the door with a clang behind him.

_What the shell is Hun talking about? Payment? Is he gonna sell me to that collector guy?_ Memories of the dream ran through Mikey's mind, making him squirm. _What if Leo's… No. Leo would never… No collector dude could break Leo. He's a ninja. He's the Leader. He's not scared o' nothing. Not like me. Eeep, the PD's coming back. What's that? A needle? Noooooo!_

Mikey struggled wildly against the straps holding him as the approached. The man put a hand on his arm, pinning him. His scream was muffled by the muzzle. The man laughed, enjoying his fear and his struggles.

"You scared, turtle? You should be. I heard this guy mounts turtles, puts 'em under glass, keeps 'em like some kinda museum…"

"Davis!" Hun's roar echoed through the room. The man jumped to his feet, turning to face his furious boss. Hun's fist lashed out, knocking the man aside as if he were a feather. "You idiot, Keagan specified, no tranquilizers!"

The man didn't respond. He was lying against the wall, silent and still. Hun swore. He stuck his head out the door. "Hey, Stiner, come in here!"

Another man appeared in the doorway. He was taller, broader-shouldered than the fallen Davis.

"Get this idiot outta here."

"Ok." Stiner picked up his fallen comrade, taking him under the shoulders and lifting him up. He slung the unconscious man over his shoulder in a fireman's carry, and left the room.

_Hun keeps that up, and we won't have to worry about fighting the Purple Dragons any more,_ thought Mikey. _He'll take out his own guys for us._

His amusement was short lived as Hun towered over him, smirking. The man leaned down, grasping Michelangelo's shell. He lifted him a few inches up off the ground, with only his legs touching the cool concrete. Mikey's arms were bound behind his back, held in padded leather cuffs, and his legs were bound at the knees and ankles with more wide straps. They didn't cut like chains, but Mikey couldn't do more than squirm.

"You're worth your weight in dollars, _freak_," said Hun, with a short, cold laugh. He let Mikey down more gently than he'd expected. Mikey lay still and tried to control his trembling. "It won't be long now," said Hun. "You'll be back with your precious brother. Soon I'll be rid of you turtles, once and for all."

***

Leonardo worked through the katas one more time, more out of frustration than a real need to train. His concentration was slipping. He turned, jumped into the air for a snap-kick, and landed. He felt himself wobble as he hit the ground. The abuse he'd taken at Hun's hands had nearly healed, but Keagan's newest punishment- withholding food, was beginning to take its toll.

The man had come back, the restraints in hand, and tried to coax Leonardo to the side of the cage so he could put them on. Leonardo flatly refused, threatening bodily injury if Keagan so much as touched him. Keagan shook his head with frustration, and delivered his ultimatum: No cooperation, no food. He'd been as bad as his word. Leonardo hadn't had anything to eat in almost two days.

Leonardo sank to the ground, crossed his legs, and attempted to slow his breathing. Time could be more easily passed with meditation. He couldn't concentrate. Hunger pains clutched at his stomach. Leonardo steeled himself, ignoring them.

_It's not as if I've never gone hungry before._

***

_Leonardo was five years old. Splinter had been sick for the past three days, and they were running low on food._

"_Der ain't nuttin' to eat, Leo."_

"_I know, Raphie."_

"_When's Splinter gonna get some more food?"_

"_I don't know, Raphie."_

"_I'm h-uunngry, Leo." That was Mikey._

"_I know, Mikey."_

"_Are we gonna starve?"_

"_No. Sensei won't let that happen."_

"_But Sensei's sick."_

"_I know, Mikey."_

"_What're we gonna eat for supper?"_

"_There isn't anything for supper, Mikey. Drink some water."_

"_I'm sick of water! I wanna pizza."_

_Leonardo had sighed then, giving up his attempts at meditation. "We can't get pizza, Mikey. Splinter's sick. He can't go out. Come on, I'll get you a glass of water."_

_Splinter hadn't gotten up until the following morning, and even then he was shaky. Still, their Sensei had forced himself to go to the surface, to scavenge them a meal. Leonardo had never forgotten two things. One, water wasn't much help when your stomach was truly empty, and second, that he could go longer than he thought he could without eating._

***

Leonardo sat, meditating, and let the time pass, washing over him. He frowned with irritation as he heard the now-familiar scrape and _click_ of a key in the lock.

"Hello, Leonardo."

_Oh, so now I have a name?_

"I'm curious. How smart are you, exactly?"

Leonardo was a rock. Keagan's words washed over him like waves on the shore…

"I've arranged for Doctor Johansson to come and give you a series of intelligence tests. I hoped you'd be more cooperative if I told you what I intend to do, instead of trying to restrain and trick you."

Leonardo opened one eye, studying the man.

_I haven't gone without food that long. I can't be hallucinating. What is up with this guy? One day he's calling me "turtle", the next he's Mr. Sincerity, calling me by name? He's up to something._

"Come on, Leonardo, what do you say? I think we've gotten off on the wrong foot. Give me a chance to make it up to you."

Leonardo cocked his head. "What do you want from me, Keagan?"

"I told you, I want to take proper care of you. It's clear I was wrong, to think of you as an ordinary turtle…"

"So you're going to let me go?"

"Where would you go? This is New York City, hardly the place for a wild animal…" Keagan trailed off as Leonardo's glare burned like a laser. "Trust me, Leonardo. This city would eat you alive." Leonardo smirked, but didn't disillusion the man. He wasn't about to reveal to Keagan that he was a native New Yorker, born and bred.

_He already knows about the others,_ thought Leo. _I'm sure not going to tell him we live less than two hours away. He'd probably send some big-game hunter or something after them. _

"You're not getting those straps back on me," said Leonardo warningly.

"If you agree to cooperate, that won't be necessary," said Keagan.

Leo watched him, wary. Intelligence tests? Pride made him want to refuse. Yet, he was offering a chance for him to get out of this cage, unrestrained. It was an opportunity too good to pass up.

"All right."

Keagan looked surprised, then he smiled. Leonardo thought he saw a triumphant gleam in the man's eye, and he tensed, wary. Keagan opened the door, and stepped back. Leonardo walked out of the cage, half expecting the man to lunge at him with a syringe, but Keagan let him pass. Leonardo stood, keeping a wary eye on Keagan.

_Ok, now just open that outer door, and I'm outta here,_ thought Leo. _This guy's strong, but not that strong. One good kick, and he'll go down._

Keagan preceded Leonardo down the short hall, and pushed the button. The door slid into the wall, disappearing without a sound. Leonardo made to rush at Keagan, but stopped, rocking back on his heels as he caught sight of a huge man standing in the hall.

_Densin's thugs. Oh shell._ Leonardo stood in the hall, wondering if he could take them both. Keagan turned toward him with a half-smile.

"I really don't want to have to request help from these gentlemen, Leonardo. Please, come with me."

Leo hesitated, and one of the men moved closer. He was trapped. The small hallway didn't offer enough room for an effective fight, but Leo was determined not to go easily. He took a fighting stance.

"We had an agreement," squawked Keagan.

"Sorry," said Leo. "I've imposed upon your hospitality long enough!" He leapt at the first man, a quick punch to the solar plexus leaving the man gasping for breath. The second man's arms came around Leonardo, pinning his arms to his shell.

Leo threw his weight forward, trying to pull the man off balance, but the man leaned back, lifting the turtle off his feet.

"Careful," shouted Keagan. "No damage!"

_Yeah, buddy, don't damage the merchandise,_ thought Leo. _Fortunately, I don't have that restriction…_He rolled back, lifting his legs, and struck out at Keagan, using him to push off. Keagan fell back with a grunt. Leonardo felt a sharp sting on his arm and turned to look at the first of the men, who'd recovered from his first punch. The man smiled grimly as he emptied the syringe into Leo's arm.

_Oh shell…_ The world whirled and darkened.


	10. Chapter 10 Don's Idea

_Chapter 10 -Don's Idea-  
~~~_

"Are you sure this is the last place you saw Michelangelo?"

"I'm _sure_, Don. We were headin' back, remember? And you wanted to go down to da Lair, an' I said I'd go wit' Mikey…" Raphael's voice trailed off, frustration evident on his face.

"How could he just… disappear?"

"Mebbe he heard somet'in' and decided to check it out. Like we did the other night."

"It's possible."

"Mebbe we oughta check out dat alley where I found his stuff."

Donatello sighed. "I suppose we don't have a choice."

Raphael growled low in his throat. "I thought ya'd wanna go and find clues, Sherlock."

"I have a bad feeling about that alley, Raph. Two of us have disappeared down there already. It's a perfect spot for an ambush, secluded, narrow, easily contained. I have a feeling this hasn't been random. Imagine, if Leo were out on his run, and he saw what we did that night, a couple girls in trouble. If the group wasn't that big, he would have tried to help, right? What if it was a trap, Raph? What if Leo walked right into an ambush?"

"Well, how'd they get Mikey, then? He wouldn'ta tried to take on the Purple Dragons on his own…"

"What if it were a puppy? What if they cornered some defenseless stray? You know how Mike is with animals. He'd have jumped right in."

"Mikey'd a called us."

"Maybe he tried. The cell was pretty busted up."

Raphael's fists clenched. "If he hurt Mikey…"

"I know, Raph. I feel the same way. Let's go."

They raced over the rooftops, stopping at the edge of the building overlooking the alley. Only the distant honks of cars and the quiet murmur of city life could be heard below. Nothing stirred in the alley.

Like wraiths, Donatello and Raphael dropped down to the pavement below, soundless, fading into the shifting shadows.

"Keep watch, Raph, while I look around."

"I got yer back, Donny."

Donatello moved carefully through the alley, shining his penlight over every brick, ever inch of pavement. There was no sign that a turtle, ninja or otherwise, had been in this alley less than twenty-four hours ago.

"Ya almost done?"

"Yeah, Raph. There's nothing here."

"There's somet'in' here, Donny." Something in Raph's tone made Donatello turn around. His heart dropped to the bottom of his shell. Surrounding his brother, grinning, were at least fifteen Purple Dragons.

Hamato Donatello never swore. Almost never. He did now, loudly, and pulled his bo from its fastenings on his back. Raph spared him a fleeting glance, his eye-ridges rising at his brother's colorful use of language, before plowing into the mass of bodies.

"Don! One a these guys might know where Mikey is!"

"Then don't knock them _all_ out, Raph!"

"I'll try not to." The reply was ironic. There was little chance of knocking out all the gang members. The four of them could take on a massive number of well-trained ninjas. With only two, overwhelming numbers became a far greater problem.

Donatello glanced upward, realizing they were near the fire escape. "Raph," he shouted. "Up!"

Raphael grunted, but made the leap at the same time as his brother, catching the bottom rung and swinging himself up just as one of the Purple Dragons swung a baseball bat at his shell. The gang member earned himself a smart pop in the mouth from another man in the crowd.

"No damage, you idiot!" the man shouted. "You want a broken jaw like Davis? Hun said no bruises!"

_Interesting,_ thought Donatello as he scrambled up the fire escape. Even as he and Raphael cleared the roof, a plan was forming in his mind.

"We coulda taken 'em," panted Raph as they ran.

"Raph, even you couldn't take on that many alone. Without Mikey and Leo, we can't fight the whole gang at once."

"What're we gonna do? Just keep playin' tag wit' the Dragons all night?" Raphael punched his fist into his palm, anger smoldering in his eyes. "We gotta _do_ somet'in'!"

"We will, Raph. We will."

A smirk crossed Raphael's features. "I know that look. You gotta plan?"

"Maybe. We'll have to head back to the Lair for some equipment."

"You go. I'm gonna stay out here and see if I can round up one a those punks. Mebbe I can get 'em to tell me where they took Mikey."

"No, Raph, this plan involves you. I need your help."

Raphael's eye ridges rose. "You _know_ I don't know nuttin' about dat techno-geek stuff."

"You don't have to. Listen, I'll show you. Just come back to the Lair."

"If yer tryin' to baby-sit me…"

"No, Raph! I need your help, bro. Somebody's got to work the tracker."

"Da what?"

"Tracker. I'm going to install a tracer under my shell, and let Hun capture me. You can follow the signal to wherever Leo and Mikey are, and get us out." Donatello met his brother's eyes steadily.

"Don…"

"It's the fastest way to find them."

"What if he don't take ya to Leo and Mike? What if he hurts ya?"

"It's a chance I'll have to take."

"Donny…"

"Raph, you heard those guys back there. Hun's ordered them not to mark us. I'll be safer in Hun's hands than I am in the dojo during a training. All you have to do is find me, and you'll find the others."

"No."

"Raph…"

"_Dammit, _Don, listen to me. _You_ ain't da one to wear da tracker! Yer gonna stick dat little do-dad on _my_ shell. Yer da one who knows about this technology stuff. Yer da one who can disable Keagan's alarms and get in. It's gotta be dis way, Don."

"I don't know. Hun's got it in for you…"

"_I_ got it in fer _him_, too." Raphael's eyes glinted golden in the moonlight. "Ya know I'm right. Let's get back to da Lair so we can get dis t'ing installed."

"There's no time like the present, I suppose," said Donatello. He had absolutely no intention of allowing Raphael to wear the tracer, but he figured it would be better to continue the argument below ground.

***

"Raphael is right, Donatello."

"But Sensei…"

"Ya heard Master Splinter." Raphael grinned.

"But… Sensei, Raph's the better fighter. He's stronger, more able to…"

"Raphael is more able to fight his way out of a difficult situation. Donatello…" Splinter's furred paw lay gently on his son's arm. "Your talents will be needed in following and detecting the device. Raphael lacks the know-how to turn off alarm systems computers. Your knowledge of technology will be needed on the outside."

"But Splinter, what if something goes wrong?"

"It's da chance I'll have to take," said Raphael, parroting Don's own words back to him.

Donatello shook his head. "Raph," he argued, feeling himself losing ground. "It's too big a risk…"

"_You_ were gonna do it. Why is it a bigger risk fer me?"

"Hun…"

"Hun ain't gonna do not'in' to me. Ya heard 'em. No marks. No bruises. Dis'll be a walk in da park."

"If we miscalculate, I could lose you."

"Ya ain't gonna screw dis up, Don." Raphael grasped his brother's arm, peering into his eyes. "I trust ya, bro. Trust _me._"

Donatello's resistance finally crumbled, logic winning the day.

"All right," he said finally. He turned to his workbench with a sigh. "I'll have to use this micro-tracer. Anything larger might be detected or dislodged."

"Ok. Where ya gonna stick dat t'ing?" Raphael watched warily as Donatello picked up the tiny bug. It had miniature, wicked-looking prongs along one side.

"Inside your shell would be best, just under the lip."

"…Ok."

Donatello shook his head. "Not in the skin, Raph. Into the shell itself."

"Oh." Raphael tried to hide his relief. The skin attached to their shells was quite sensitive, and those prongs looked sharp.

Donatello slipped the tracer under the edge of Raphael's shell, near his neck, pressing it into place.

"Is dat it?" Raph rolled his shoulders.

"Can you feel it?"

"It's a little scratchy, not bad," said Raph. "I'll hardly know it's there."

"As long as Hun and Keagan don't know it's there," said Don dryly.

"They'll never know what hit 'em, don't worry," said Raph with a grin.

"Can you call April and Casey?" Donatello started gathering equipment into a duffel.

"What for?"

"I'm going to need some back-up for this. April to watch the tracker screen, and Casey for his muscles. Master Splinter, I'd like you to come along as well. We might need your help."

"I would be honored to accompany you, Donatello." The old rat's eyes sparkled. "I wish to meet the man who so covets my sons he is willing to employ the likes of Hun."

Donatello felt a ripple of unease run through him.

_Should I risk Sensei? He's not as young as he was… But he can still fight. Who knows what I'm going to run into with this Keagan guy? He's already managed to kidnap two of us and keep them locked up somehow. Casey's great for causing mass confusion and general mayhem, but I'd be glad of Splinter's stealth._

"Thank you, Sensei," he said aloud. He stuffed a few more things into his bag.

Raphael snapped his shell-cell closed. "They'll be waitin' fer yer call," he said with a grin. "Casey says ta tell ya he'll personally wipe up the floor wit' dis Keagan guy's butt."

"I hope he gets a chance. I just hope I know what I'm doing." Donatello muttered as he searched the bench for a few last-minute gadgets which might come in handy.

"Don." Raphael gripped his brother's shoulder, spinning him around. Chocolate brown and golden eyes met. "Bro, it's gonna be ok. We'll get 'em back. You'll get _me_ back. Dis guy's gonna be sorry he ever 'collected' anyt'in' besides stamps and box tops."

Donatello couldn't hold back a grin, meeting his brother's maniacal gaze.

_Keagan has no idea what he's gotten himself into,_ he thought. _He thought he could keep mutant turtles locked up like animals in a zoo. Well, he didn't reckon with Hamato Raphael._


	11. Chapter 11 Josephine

**A/N: Leo shows his stubborn streak in this chap. heh And you get a glimpse of what's happening with Raph and Mikey as well. **

**Review, please! :) I'd love to know what you think of Jo, and where you think Keagan's going with this.  
**

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**_Chapter 11 -Josephine-  
~~~_

"Justin, I'm afraid you're just going to have to accept that it's not as intelligent as you'd hoped. It's humanoid appearance is remarkable, of course, and if it can imitate speech as you say, that's amazing, but these tests are not indicating the level of intelligence you claim the creature has exhibited." Karen Johansson brushed her bangs back from her face impatiently.

Keagan scowled. "He's being stubborn. He's angry because Densin's men used the tranquilizer. I'm telling you, Karen, he's intelligent at an almost human level. Higher than dolphins or parrots even. We just have to get him to perform."

"I know you've dreamed of finding a perfect specimen, Justin, but you really must consider what that means. For his species, he's a remarkable creature."

"He's remarkable for _any_ species!"

"I can see that." Her tone took on the patience of someone reasoning with a lunatic. "He certainly bears further study. Perhaps you just need to give him a little more time to adjust to his living environment."

Justin nodded, glaring at Leonardo, who sat on the floor of his cage, cross-legged, ignoring them as if they weren't discussing him only a few feet away. He'd absolutely refused to speak in front of the veterinarian, and had stared at the pencil and paper she'd placed in front of him with disdain.

She had no better luck with the simple manipulatives she'd offered him, blocks and a child's toy tool bench with pegs to pound into various holes. Leonardo had given her a "you've got to be kidding" look, which she apparently took for confusion.

After an hour of trying in vain to get Leonardo to do something, _anything_ at all, she'd recommended returning him to the enclosure. Only then did Leonardo react, preparing himself for a fight, but Keagan had been ready for him. Densin's men came into the room, grabbed Leo by his arms, and carried him back to the cage. Leonardo's pride was still smarting from that little encounter.

He hadn't been able to lash out strongly enough to stop them. The tranquilizer was having a residual effect on his reflexes, and the time without nourishment was making him lightheaded and dizzy. Overall, it had been one of the most humiliating days of Leonardo's life.

_When I get out of here, Keagan, you are toast,_ thought Leo. He kept his eyes closed, striving for peace, as he heard Doctor Johansson leave the room.

"You think you've won, don't you, Leonardo?" Keagan's voice was soft. "I don't understand why you insist on fighting me. I'm willing to give you the best of everything, to take care of your every need. What more could you want?"

Leonardo ignored him. _Freedom._

He heard Keagan sigh, and the man left, the door sliding closed behind him.

_Finally, he's gone. _Leonardo stood up, stretching, and started working through his katas. He stuck to the basics, still feeling weak and sick from a lack of food and the after-effects of the tranquilizer. It felt good to stretch his body, and it helped take his mind off the man who was keeping him prisoner, like an animal in a zoo.

***

Justin Keagan watched the monitor in his office, fascinated. While Leonardo'd been having his intelligence "tested", Justin's personal electrician had entered the enclosure area and wired the entire room with miniature surveillance cameras. They were well-hidden. Keagan wanted to watch the turtle undetected, to see its behavior when he wasn't in the room.

Now that he knew it could speak… _speak_, what a breakthrough! Never before had any of his specimens actually been able to communicate with him. He monitored their health through behaviors and physical examinations, but to be able to _talk _to such a creature… What new insights might be gained? What new understanding of reptile physiology and psychology could be gleaned from holding an actual _conversation_? He watched, fascinated as the turtle performed a complex exercise.

_It's almost as if someone has trained it in stretching and tai chi exercises to keep itself supple and agile. Amazing._

Keagan rubbed his hands together with glee. Only one thing clouded his success- the turtle's trust in him was now completely broken. Using the sedative had been a last resort, a necessary evil. Hun's abuse had obviously made the creature mistrustful of humans, and Keagan's own use of such a crude method would guarantee the creature would react hostilely to him. He needed to make progress _now._ He needed to gain the creature's trust, to make it understand that he meant it no harm. In fact, quite the opposite. He meant to better the species, perhaps to save them from extinction.

Delilah's voice over the intercom broke into Keagan's thoughts.

"Mr. Keagan?"

"Yes, Delilah?"

"Miss Kohler is here."

"Good, good. Send her in."

Justin stood up as the young woman entered his office. "Josephine! It's good to see you again."

"Hi, Mr. Keagan," she replied. Keagan noticed she was a little breathless. Her eyes shone as she held out her hand for him to shake.

"Please, have a seat." Keagan watched as the girl settled into the leather armchair, her wide brown eyes taking in the detail of her lush surroundings.

"How are you enjoying the last semester, Josephine?"

"It's been fascinating," said Josephine politely. Keagan could see the question hanging behind her eyes. "The tour of your collection was the topic of our last class. Discussing the color morphs alone took up most of the hour."

"Good, good. I'm always interested in helping educate the next generation of budding scientists," said Keagan, smiling warmly into her eyes, but not so warmly that she'd get the wrong idea. He wanted to dazzle her, not scare her off.

"As you could see, I have collected some of the finest specimens from around the world. I've always been fascinated with herpetology, and with the management and welfare of various species."

"Oh, that's why I'm majoring in biology," replied Josephine enthusiastically. "I was always interested in studying endangered species growing up, and how we can improve their chances of survival by protecting their habitats and using captive breeding programs to increase the population."

"I thought I sensed a fellow animal lover in you." Justin smiled. "After all, as the superior species, we have an obligation to take care of the world which is under our influence."

"Oh, I agree, Mr. Keagan. I've always felt people need to be responsible for taking better care of our environment."

"Please call me Justin, Josephine."

The girl was young and awed enough to blush. "Thank you,… Justin."

"So, Josephine, do you have plans for the summer? An internship lined up, perhaps?"

She shook her head, looking a bit abashed. "I have a job at a local retail store," she said. "The internships are offered to third-year students. Since this is only my second year of Herpetology Studies, I wasn't able to apply."

"But it's your, what, fifth year of college?"

"Yes. I majored in Biology for three years before changing my major to focus on herpetology."

"I see. Well, it seems a terrible shame that such intelligence should go to waste languishing in retail."

Josephine laughed, a musical sound. "I have to pay tuition for next semester."

"What if you could get a private internship, working with reptiles and studying their behavior?"

"I'd jump at the chance. But the Central Park Zoo is the only large collection in the area, and their internships are full."

"Ah, but Central Park's facility is a public one. I said _private_. Josephine, I'd like to offer you a job here for the summer."

"Oh! Oh, I mean, thank you, Sir. What would I be doing?"

He saw the hope and suspicion mingled in her eyes.

"I have a very special project, Josephine, a behavior study of an incredibly rare specimen I've recently been able to acquire. He's been abused by men, and he's quite shy. I was rather hoping, a woman's touch, you know…"

"Oh! You mean, you'd like my help observing its behavior?" Her eyes lit up as if he'd offered her a winning lottery ticket.

"I'd need you to spend extensive time with him, observe him, to take notes, perhaps to work with him, winning his trust. He's a new addition, so he's not completely acclimated to his new environment yet."

She was nodding. "I used to work in a volunteer program at the local humane society," she said. "I've helped rehabilitate dogs, cats, and some exotics that were rescued from abusive situations."

"That's perfect, absolutely perfect." Justin cranked up the wattage of his smile, just a hair. Josephine practically basked in his praise.

"Josephine, do you have a boyfriend?"

"What?" Her expression faltered.

Justin smiled self-deprecatingly. "I'm sorry, I phrased that awkwardly. What I mean to ask is, would you be able to commit a rather extended period of time to this project? I'd like to have you stay here, in a private apartment of course, so that you can interact with the specimen on a daily basis."

"Oh! Oh, I see. That wouldn't be a problem."

"You don't normally go home for the summer? I'd hate to cause a problem with your family…"

"It's not a problem. My folks have been gone since I was ten. I'm on my own," said Josephine with a sad little smile.

"Oh, I'm so sorry." Justin feigned sympathy. Of course he'd known about her parents. A car accident had taken them both. She'd grown up with an aunt, but they apparently weren't close. He'd found out from her landlord that she'd rented her current apartment when she started college, and her lease included summers.

No boyfriend, no family to speak of, she was an independent girl, willing to come and work for him for the summer. She was perfect.

"I'll just have Delilah draw up a contract. How soon can you start?"

"I'll need to make arrangements with my landlord," said Josephine slowly. "I'd hate to lose my apartment…"

"How silly of me. I never mentioned a salary. I'd like you to start as soon as possible. I'm prepared to pay your lease through the summer, as well as a generous compensation package, of course." He mentioned a figure that had Josephine's eyes widening. Justin leaned forward, resting his palms on the desk, reeling her in.

"There's one more thing. This specimen, he's extremely unique. Very rare. It's vital that the research we'd be doing be kept confidential. Can I trust you, Josephine?"

"Of course, Sir." Her clear eyes held not a hint of evasion.

Justin smiled. "I thought so. I've done a bit of background checking, talked to your professors, and everything I've heard has been positive."

The girl blushed. "Thank you," she said softly. "I won't let you down."

"Good, good. I'll just have Delilah print out a standard contract. I'd like you to start as soon as possible." Justin cocked his head as if he were considering. "Tell you what, why don't I have Delilah call your landlord?" he suggested, as if the thought had just popped into his mind. "You've only got a week's worth of classes left, the final week is often waived for internships. I'll call the college myself, talk to Dean Kinney. I can even arrange for your things to be brought over from your apartment."

"That… I… thank you, Sir," she stammered.

Justin smiled into her eyes. "There are a few arrangements to be made. Why don't I ask Delilah to show you my collection of rare hybrids that weren't included in the tour? She can show you your apartment, and you can get settled in. You can get started tomorrow if you like."

"Sounds great," said Josephine enthusiastically.

***

Michelangelo squirmed against the straps binding him, but his efforts were half-hearted. He was exhausted. Hun had left him mostly alone, and the Purple Dragons who'd entered the room had only taunted, not struck or kicked him.

_Not that I'm complaining,_ thought Mikey. _At least they took off the muzzle._ _But what the shell is going on? Come on, Hun, if you're not gonna de-shell me, then let me go already! My arms are gonna fall off…_ He squirmed again, and pain lanced through his strained muscles. _Man… I wish Raph was here. What're they gonna do to me? That guy was lyin' about the collector dude putting us under glass. He had to be! Leo's alive, I know it. No way would he let somebody stuff him and mount him like a museum. _

Michelangelo shuddered. _Ain't nobody gonna mount _this_ turtle. I'm gonna get outta here, an' we're gonna get Leo back. Raph and Don'll come for me. I know they will. They always do._

He squirmed again as he heard shouting from outside. Hun's goons were really whooping it up, laughing and cat-calling.

_Sounds like they're havin' a party. Wonder if I'm invited… On second thought, I hope not. I don't think I'd like Hun's idea of fun._

Mikey's eyes widened as the door to the office his cage was in opened. _Oh shell, here they come. _He watched fearfully as two Purple Dragons backed into the room, carrying something. A struggling, growling, _green_ something.

_Raphie! Oh no._ _Be careful whatcha wish for, Mikey._

The men carried Raphael into the room. His hands and legs were bound, just like Michelangelo's, and a leather muzzle wrapped tightly over his beak.

Michelangelo's heart beat faster. _What the shell are they doin' to Raph? Oh man, he looks mad… _

Raphael flopped like a fish, struggling so hard the men had to keep adjusting their grips on his shell to keep from dropping him. A fifth man followed them into the room, and hurried over to unlock the cage. Raph was carried in, and set down beside his brother, growling at the men the entire time.

One Purple Dragon pulled back his foot as if to give the squirming turtle a kick, but one of the others caught his shoulder roughly. The man turned away, a look of disgust on his face, and they filed out, leaving the two turtles alone.

"Raphie?" Michelangelo was near tears.

Raphael turned to face his younger brother. Mikey could hear him trying to speak from behind the cruel muzzle. Tears slid down Mikey's cheeks, as he met his brother's amber eyes, but he gasped, and stared in shock as Raphael gave him a wink.

_Oh shell. They've done it now,_ thought Michelangelo. _They've finally pushed Raph over the edge._


	12. Chapter 12 Tracer

**A/N: This chap jumps around a bit between pov's. ***'s indicate a change of pov.  
Don't worry, you'll get more Leo in the next chapter. :)**

**Read and review, please!  
**

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_Chapter 12 -Tracer-  
~~~_

"_Are you sure you want to do this, Raph?"_

"_Yer computer ain't tellin' us where Keagan lives,Don. We ain't got a choice."_

"_Maybe April can help…"_

"_Don. We been over dis. We ain't got that kinda time. Leo's been gone over two weeks. Mikey…"_

"_Yeah. I know, Raph."_

"_You just be careful, Don. Stay outta da way. If you get caught, we're done for."_

"_It's ok, Raph, I showed April how to use the tracker, too. She's our back-up."_

_Raphael grinned then, his eyes glittering maniacally. Don almost laughed. Raph was actually _enjoying_ this._

_***_

Donatello sighed, watching the tracker trace across the screen. Raph had been taken to one of Hun's known hide-outs, an abandoned warehouse down by the docks. The tracer blipped faithfully on the screen, unmoving.

_He's fine. They're keeping him until Keagan can come and buy him, that's all. If Hun… If he were… Hun wouldn't keep a dead body around. As long as he's there in the warehouse, I know he's got to be fine._

Donatello tried to drive images of his brother, bound and beaten, lying in on a cold concrete floor, from his mind.

_Hun told his guys not to mark us. He wants us alive and unharmed. Raph's going to be fine…_

If he told himself often enough, perhaps he'd start to believe it.

"My son." Splinter's paw on his arm was enough to make Donatello jump, nearly falling out of his chair. "You must rest, Donatello."

"I can't, Sensei. The tracer could malfunction. Hun could move him earlier than we planned…"

"Donatello. I will watch the screen, and wake you if there is any change."

"Sensei, I…"

"Go. Rest."

Don sighed. He knew he couldn't argue with that tone. He stood up slowly, and gave Splinter a short bow.

"Hai, Sensei."

Splinter returned the bow, his gaze catching Donatello's with a sparkle of kindness. "Go, my son. You are doing all you can. Your brothers know they can count upon you."

"I hope you're right, Sensei." Donatello stretched and yawned. He debated sneaking into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee, but a quick glance from Splinter let Don know he was being watched. Resigned, he made his way to his room and lay down. Despite his fear and worry, he was asleep within minutes.

***

Splinter watched the blip on the screen. Donatello's equipment and gadgets fascinated the old rat, though he understood less than half of what Donatello said when he tried to explain some of the complicated technology in his shop. Splinter was proud of his son, proud of the ease with which he transversed the wires and wavelengths of the computers he loved.

The shell-shaped cell phone on the desk next to the computer vibrated. Splinter picked it up quickly snapping the thing open. He muttered under his breath as he searched for the correct button, hoping he would not hang up on the caller, as had happened in the past. Finally the little screen came to life, and April O'Neil's anxious face peered out at him.

"Yes, April?"

"Master Splinter, I wanted to check in with Donatello, to see how the plan is going."

"Donatello is resting."

"Good. He was dead on his feet when I spoke with him before. Had Raphael been moved yet?"

"No, April. Nothing has changed."

A sigh came clearly through the line.

"I'm going to get some rest. I'll wait for Don's call."

"That would be best, April." Splinter smiled, honored and proud. The young woman had so often proven her care and loyalty to his sons, and yet she never seemed to run out of patience or willingness to come to their aid in whatever way she was able.

The screen went blank, and Splinter closed the little unit, setting it down on the desk. The soft "beep" of the tracing device continued, unmoving, unchanged. Splinter sat back in Donatello's computer chair.

_How does my son sit in this chair for hours at a time?_ Splinter wondered. _It is little wonder he is so often tired. This chair is not designed for comfort._ Still, he sat; keeping his vigil while his son caught a few hours of much-needed sleep.

***

"Raphie?"

Raphael's amber eyes glittered, meeting Michelangelo's blue ones. The gang members had left the two alone for the most part, putting their heads in occasionally to throw taunts at the helpless turtles.

"Raphie, are you ok, Dude?"

A definite nod.

"'Cause, ya know, we're in real bad trouble here…"

A headshake.

"Whatdaya mean we're not? Mebbe you didn't notice, but Hun's got us."

Raph's eyeridges rose. His expression clearly said _"No duh, bone-head."_

"Well, Hun's gonna de-shell us sooner or later, right?"

Raph shook his head vehemently.

"Or sell us to that collector dude."

A nod.

Michelangelo went a little pale. "You mean, Hun's gonna sell us?"

Another nod, and what looked like reassurance.

"And this is a good thing because…"

This time the headshake was of frustration. Raphael rolled his eyes.

"Ok, I know you can only say 'yes' or 'no', so I gotta guess why this is a good thing, right?"

A nod, and a determined glare.

"It's a good thing because… dis guy has Leo?"

A nod.

"And… Hun's gonna sell us to him, so we'll be with Leo?"

Another nod.

"Ok. But…" Wheels turned in Mikey's mind. "But, he ain't got Donny yet."

A vigorous nod.

"Raph… Does Donny… have a plan for getting us outta this?"

Raph's eyes rolled heavenward as he nodded. _It's about time you got it, Mike. Geesh, get a clue already._

"I shoulda known Donny'd have a plan. Wait a minute, did this plan mean you got caught on _purpose_? Dude, you _are_ nuts."

Raphael shook his head, laughter showing in his eyes. _Bonehead._

Light was beginning to filter under the door when Michelangelo heard voices outside. He looked over Raph's shoulder fearfully, and glanced at his older brother. Raph seemed to be trying to reassure him with his steady amber gaze.

_It's gonna be ok, Mikey. Trust me._

"Raph…"

Raphael shook his head sharply, glaring.

Mikey watched, frowning. "You don't want me to talk?" he whispered. Raph shook his head again.

"Ok, Raphie."

Mikey swallowed hard as the door swung open, and Hun came in, followed by a man in a business suit, and two more hulking men, but he kept his nervous wisecracks behind his teeth.

"Here they are, Mr. Densin. Unmarked, as promised. We used padded leather straps instead of chain this time."

"Why is this one muzzled?"

"He bites."

"Mr. Keagan will take delivery of them both today. Can they be housed in one enclosure together?"

Hun shrugged. Michelangelo saw a smirk pass over his features. "Sure, why not?"

"Are you certain they won't fight? The larger one looks dangerous."

"He is. Keagan should keep him restrained. I wouldn't take that muzzle off if I were you."

"Mr. Keagan is confident he can handle them," Densin said dryly. "Bill, Joe, take these two out to the truck."

Michelangelo's eyes widened with fear as the two hulking men leaned down, catching him by the edges of his shell and lifting him up. He squirmed, desperate to stay with Raphael. Raph watched with a wide-eyed gaze. _It's gonna be ok, Mikey. They ain't gonna hurt you. Just go along…_

***

_Donatello looked at his brother, frowning. _

"_Are we clear on the plan? We'll head into Purple Dragon territory. Once we find a couple of them, we'll have a loud argument. I'll get mad and "leave". You'll set out on your own, and let them jump you. You've got to make it believable, Raph, or Hun'll know something's up."_

"_Don't worry, Donny. Hun'll believe. I'll make 'em wish they'd never got into the turtle-collectin' business."_

"_Are you sure about this, Raph?"_

"_Donny, I'm sure. Let's go."_

_***_

Raphael glared at the man standing over him. Densin regarded him calmly. He turned away, shaking his head.

"Keagan always did like to play with dangerous animals," he said softly. "I hope this won't be a mistake."

He motioned for his men to take Raphael. Raph put up a show of struggling, squirming and twisting in their hands. No one, not Raph, not the men carrying him, not Hun or Densin, noticed the tiny, bent tracer that slipped out of his shell. One of the men stepped on the delicate little piece of equipment, crushing it as if it were no more than a crunchy beetle on the concrete floor.

***

Across town, an aged rat tapped a suddenly-blank screen with a tentative claw.

_Perhaps I should wake Donatello,_ thought Splinter. _I believe this qualifies as a significant change._


	13. Chapter 13 The Assistant

**A/N: I have to say, this is probably my favorite chapter in this fic. Poor Josephine. LOL**

**Reviews are loved, as always. :)**

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**_Chapter 13 -The Assistant-  
~~~_

Josephine watched, amazed, as the wall opened, revealing a secret door. Justin, he'd asked her to think of him as Justin, not "Mr. Keagan", led her down a short passageway, through a second locked door, and into a larger room.

About half the room was taken up with a huge cage. The sides and back were smooth, but the front was blocked by iron bars, reminding Josephine of a prison cell. The impression was fleeting, as her eyes locked on the creature behind the bars.

He was a bit shorter than her own five-foot-four. He was laying down in the peat substrate at the moment, and looked as if he were asleep. Her eyes widened when she saw the restraints, cuffs at his wrists and elbows, and thin chains wrapped around his shell and plastron, pinning his front limbs to his sides. His ankles were shackled as well, with padded leather cuffs linked with eighteen inches or so of chain. But what made her gasp and cover her own mouth was the muzzle.

It looked as if it were made of soft leather, so that it didn't cut the skin, but it was quite tight, and she knew from her dealings with dogs in the shelter, the creature wouldn't be able to open its mouth at all with the contraption strapped on its head. Justin seemed to notice her distress.

"I assure you, Josephine, the restraints are necessary for your safety at this stage. He's been quite combative. As you can see, the cuffs allow him some freedom of movement."

"Why is he muzzled?"

"My dear, I can't take the chance of him biting you."

"He bites?"

"He hasn't since he's been with me, but I'm told that one of the men who collected him is short a finger after his encounter with him."

Josephine shuddered, and turned her eyes back to the creature. He certainly looked strong enough to do some damage. His muscles were clearly defined under the leathery green skin. But, in repose, he looked almost peaceful, rather like a sleeping lion.

_What have I let myself in for? What if he's truly dangerous? But he's restrained, and Justin's right here. It's not as if I've never worked with aggressive animals before. He's just… different. In fact, if I lay aside my expectations of what a turtle "should" look like, he's quite… beautiful._

"Are you sure you wish to proceed? I won't hold you to your contract if you're having second thoughts, now that you've seen him." Justin regarded her solemnly, waiting. Josephine met his eyes, and shook her head.

"No, it's ok. I'm honored to have an opportunity to study such a rare creature."

Justin relaxed slightly, and a smile lit his features. "All right. Let's go in." He unlocked the cage, and opened the door.

At the rasp of the key in the lock, the creature stirred. He tensed, pulling at the restraints, but stopped, as if he were resigned. Josephine glanced at Justin. How long had the creature been in the restraints? He seemed to understand struggling would be useless.

"I had him put into the harness this morning, after he'd eaten," explained Justin. "There was a mild sedative in his food which allowed me to handle him. I'll take the harness off again this afternoon, when you've finished your observation. Don't worry, I won't leave him like this all the time."

Josephine smiled with relief, nodding. She hated to see any creature left in such a helpless position any longer than necessary. She glanced at the creature. It's eyes were open now, and it was glaring at Justin. When he approached, it growled a warning low in its throat, and squirmed back, avoiding his touch.

"Now, now, Leonardo. Be nice. I've brought this young lady to meet you," said Justin soothingly.

_He's so kind,_ thought Josephine. _Speaking softly should help calm the creature down. Wait a minute? Leonardo? He didn't mention names for any of the rest of his collection…_

"Hi, Leonardo," she said softly, alerting the turtle to her presence. His eyes snapped toward her, widening with what looked like surprise. Josephine was startled at the almost-human expression. Justin touched its leg, and its eyes snapped back to him. It kicked out, and Justin moved his hand just in time to avoid having it smashed by the two-toed foot. Josephine caught her breath. The creature was far more agile than it looked, even bound by the restraints. She could see the point of the harness now.

"I'm just going to help you sit up. Take it easy, now," soothed Justin, reaching for the animal's impressive shell. It squirmed away. Josephine was awed. Even restrained, the creature managed to move across the cage, away from Justin, until it came against the wall and could move no further.

"Justin, wait. Let me try," suggested Josephine. He glanced at her. "I mean, if that's all right with you," she said, blushing.

"That's what you're here for," said Justin, smiling. He backed away from the turtle. "Just be careful he doesn't kick you."

"Hey there," said Josephine, locking eyes with the turtle. "Don't be scared. I'm not going to hurt you." The creature's eye-ridges rose. Josephine blinked. It was almost as if it were able to express disdain. _Yeah, I'm not worried about _you_, little girl._

She almost laughed. The creature had an air of self-confidence she'd rarely met. Its spirit was far from broken. She edged forward, keeping her gaze on its face. It watched her warily, but didn't lash out, as she approached.

"I'm just going to help you sit up, ok?" Josephine blinked. She could almost swear the creature gave her a tiny nod.

Gathering her courage, she reached out and touched its shell. It flinched, but didn't move away from her touch. She got a good grip on the lip of the shell, and lifted. If the creature had done nothing to help, she never could have lifted it up, but it seemed to understand what she was doing, and maneuvered itself until its back was resting against the bars. It glanced at her with something like gratitude.

_It's so expressive,_ thought Josephine. _I almost expect it to speak._

Justin moved behind her, and the creature jerked, growling, and glared at him with something like hatred in its eyes. Instinctively wanting to comfort, to reassure, Josephine touched its shoulder. The creature's eyes jerked to her. She saw despair, a flicker of helpless fear there, for an instant before the fury returned and his eyes snapped back to Justin.

Josephine stood up. "Justin," she said, her voice taking on the confidence of her years of working at the shelter, "May I have some time alone with him? I think you're right. He's obviously been abused by a man, from his reaction to you. He might relax if it's just me. I'd like to just sit with him for a while, let him get used to me."

"Well…" Justin looked reluctant. "I did bring you in for your expertise in dealing with abused animals."

"Yes, Sir." Josephine smiled.

"You do seem to have a way with him. I didn't think you'd be able to get this close, and he's letting you touch him. All right, if you like."

Justin gave one more dazzling smile, and left, leaving the cage door open behind him. "Just close the cage door when you leave. The outer door will open from the inside, but locks behind you when you come out. You have the key I gave you? And you saw the button for the door leading back to the hallway, right?"

Josephine nodded, her eyes on the turtle. Justin noticed the way she was looking at Leonardo, with a mixture of caution, curiosity, and awe.

_Perfect,_ he thought. _She's already taken with him. The way she touched his skin without flinching… She's not squeamish at all. _

He backed out of the cage. Leonardo's eyes tracked him until he'd left the room. Josephine noticed the turtle relaxed slightly when the man left.

_Poor thing,_ she thought. _It's obvious he's uncomfortable with Justin. Maybe I can help change that. Once I gain his trust, maybe I can help him get used to Justin as well. It would make his care and handling so much easier. And more comfortable. That muzzle seems too tight. _She frowned. The turtle was well restrained. The muzzle seemed like over-kill. She hesitated for a moment, but the turtle was looking at her again. Behind the wariness, she saw sadness, almost a longing. Before she could talk herself out of it, she reached for the muzzle.

If Leonardo had reacted violently to her touch, Josephine might have reconsidered what she was about to do. He flinched, and his eyes widened when she reached for him, but when her fingers brushed the buckle, he went very still, and just watched her with that same sad, wary expression.

Cautiously, ready to jerk away if he lunged, she slipped the strap out of the buckle. She struggled a bit to pull the peg out of the strap, but when it finally popped free, the strap slid smoothly out of the silver fastening. Slowly, gently, she pulled it away from his beak, careful to keep her fingers well clear of his mouth. Josephine backed up a bit, out of biting range, and watched the turtle thoughtfully.

"There, is that better?" she asked gently. The turtle was watching her now with a mixture of surprise and, if he had been human, what would have looked like gratitude. She watched as his facial muscles twitched, as he moved his jaw, loosening the long-restricted muscles. "You're not a biter, are you?" Josephine deliberately used the soft, soothing tone she'd adopted for working with fear-aggressive rescues.

The turtle's eye-ridges rose. His dark eyes seemed to express a mixture of irritation, amusement and caution. He shifted on the peat, sitting up a bit straighter, and turned his head, stretching the muscles in his neck, which were undoubtedly stiff from sitting in an awkward position. Josephine smiled. She unconsciously laid a hand on his leg, and jerked back when he flinched.

When she met his eyes again, the wariness was back, but his dark eyes seemed to consider her. He opened his mouth, and Josephine tensed, ready to throw herself backward, out of range of a lunge. He made a sound, but it was raspy, as if his throat were dry. Josephine stood up, brushing off her knees.

"I'll get you some water," she said with a smile. Justin had provided her with a small bag of supplies, including her clipboard and pens for taking notes, and a bottle of water and snack for herself while she was working. She fetched the water and knelt beside him, watching for any sign he might try to bite. "Can you drink this way? I'm sorry it's a bit awkward, but I don't have a bowl," she rambled, using her voice to soothe him as she held the bottle to his mouth. To her surprise, he drank eagerly from the bottle, as if he'd done it before. He drained nearly half the bottle before he turned his face away.

Josephine rocked back on her heels. She put the lid on the water bottle and set it aside. She felt as though she could sit there and gaze into his eyes forever. They were dark pools, so deep, so mysterious, so beautiful. She gave her self a mental shake.

_I'm supposed to be taking notes, and observing, not just sitting here staring at him,_ she thought.

"Th…thank you."

Josephine's head snapped around in shock. She stared at the creature, her mouth hanging open. His face moved, almost as if he were… smiling at her. The wary look in his eyes contrasted with the amusement she saw sparkling there. Josephine felt the world tilt as her reality was violently readjusted. She fell back on her rump, and sat, gaping at the turtle. He sighed.

"I really hope you're not going to faint," he said in a soft, amused voice. "It gets old, you know."

"You… did you… you just…"

"Yeah. I can talk. Thanks for taking that muzzle off. It was really uncomfortable."

"I… I…" Josephine managed to close her mouth. "You… you're welcome."

He shifted again, adjusting his position against the bars. Josephine felt light-headed.

_This can't be happening. Justin said he was unique, but this? This is insane. I've lost my mind, that's it. Too many late nights, studying for finals. I'm dreaming. This has all been a dream. I've fallen asleep at my desk again, and if I don't wake up soon I'll miss that Genetics In the Media class final. I'm going to wake up now. Now._

_Crud. I'm not waking up. _

"What's your name?" he asked gently. She frowned. He was using the same soothing, calm tone she'd employed herself, as if she needed reassuring.

_Well, maybe I do. I have to admit, I'm pretty freaked out at the moment._

"I'm Josephine."

"It's nice to meet you, Josephine. My name's Leonardo."

"I… I've got to go…" Josephine jumped to her feet, backing away. She turned, and dashed from the room, ignoring his pleas for her to come back.


	14. Chapter 14 Lost

**A/N: Yep, nice and cozy in this bomb shelter. Mikey fans... I am so sorry. And Don, too.  
Just keep repeating the mantra: Happy endings!**

**

* * *

**_Chapter 14 -Lost-  
~~~_

Donatello's fingers fairly flew over the keyboard. Sweat slicked his brow as he tried every reset option, every combination of commands he could think of. Still, the tracer screen remained blank. The blip was gone.

"I _knew _something like this would happen. Why did I let Raph talk me into this…"

Splinter touched his son's shoulder, feeling the muscles tense, hard as steel under the skin. "My son, this is not your fault."

"It _is_, Sensei! It's my equipment that's malfunctioned…"

"Donatello!"

Don flinched at the rat's tone, and turned in his chair to meet his father's eyes. After a moment, he bowed his head. Tears slid down his cheeks.

"My son. You cannot anticipate every thing that could go wrong. Your brother knew the chance he was taking. Now, we must focus on solutions, rather than blame."

"Hai, Sensei." Don sighed, and turned back to the frustratingly blank screen. "It's obvious that the tracer has become dislodged, or has broken. It's stopped transmitting." Donatello swallowed hard, trying not to think about what the missing beep could mean.

_If Hun found the tracker…_ He shook his head as if he could physically throw the thought out.

"Have you been able to discover the address of this man, this Keagan?" asked Splinter.

Don shook his head. "No, Sensei. He's apparently quite reclusive. He occasionally invites tour groups from the college's herpetology department for tours of his collection, but I can hardly mingle in a tour group with a bunch of college students."

"I have confidence in your ability, Donatello."

"Thank you, Sensei." _I wish I did._

Splinter's claws made tiny scratching noises on the floor as he moved off toward his room. Donatello picked up the cell, and dialed April.

"Don? Any progress?"

"No, April. I'm afraid the tracer's dead."

There was a silence on the line, and Don cursed his careless use of the word.

"Don, we're going to find them."

"April, I don't know where to begin to look. I've searched every possible database. I even hacked into the college's computers. His address is _nowhere_. There's got to be a way to find this guy."

"Well, maybe Hun hasn't moved Mikey and Raph yet…"

"But I don't know where he was keeping them. It's hopeless, April."

"Hamato Donatello!"

Don stared at the cell as if it had bitten him. _Did April just yell at me?_

"Don't you _dare_ say there's no hope! You are _not _giving up on your brothers."

Don drew in a deep breath, trying unsuccessfully to hold back the tears. "April…"

"Donny, you can do this. You're going to find them. We're going to get them back. _All _of them."

"April…"

"What?"

"Thanks."

"Anytime. So what's the next step?"

"I don't know, April."

"Well, how'd you find out about Keagan in the first place?"

"It was a that Matthews guy. He was building a custom enclosure for him…" Donatello trailed off, realizing for the first time just how slender the lead was they'd been following. Despair threatened to overwhelm him.

"Well, if he's running a business, he must have a record of the guy's address," said April reasonably. There was a long moment of silence. "Don, are you ok?"

"April, you are a _genius_!" he shouted. "Why didn't I think of that? I'll go back to Matthew's place, make him give me Keagan's addres…"

"Wait a minute, Donny, you're not going alone…"

"I don't have a choice, April. The guys are all captured…"

"Casey will go with you."

"No offense, April, but Casey's a little… enthusiastic. I need Matthews _conscious_."

April giggled. "I'll come to, and help keep him in line."

"I don't know, April. This could be dangerous…"

"Don. They're my family, too."

"…Ok."

"I'll meet you at the garage in twenty minutes."

"Ok. And April?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks."

***

Michelangelo had never been so scared in his life. The truck ride hadn't been _so_ bad. Even being carried into the mansion-sized house, down plush halls lined with tanks full of reptiles wasn't a traumatizing experience. _At least they're not stuffed,_ thought Mikey, watching the snakes parade by as the men carried him through the hall. _They look alive to me._

But when he'd been carried into what was unmistakably a lab, and his limbs were strapped down to an examination table, terror closed his throat. He struggled wildly, but the soft material binding his arms and legs was unbreakable.

The man who walked into the room did nothing to reassure Michelangelo. He stood, watching him, with the same fascinated expression Mikey'd seen on John Bishop's face before he'd tried to dissect him and his brothers.

"Do you speak, too, Turtle?" asked the man, coming closer and examining Mikey's shell. Michelangelo stared at him, his eyes wide with fear, but didn't answer.

_Raphie said not to talk. I'm tryin' Raph, but where are you? This wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't facing it alone. I don't want them to hurt you either though, so maybe it's better you're not here…_

"Perhaps you're not as intelligent as the other one," said the man, looking disappointed. "He does seem to be a very unique specimen." Mikey stared, gaping at the man. _The other one? Does he mean Leo?_ The man approached, and he squirmed.

"Take it easy, now. No one's going to hurt you," said the man soothingly. Mikey stared, and the man smiled reassuringly.

_What the shell? Ok, buddy, let's review. You had Hun turtle-nap me an' my bros. I'm strapped down to a table, in a _lab_. Again. An' you're not going to hurt me? Right. Next thing, you'll tell me turtles don't lay eggs._

Keagan touched his arm, and Michelangelo flinched violently. He closed his eyes, unable to bear the man's gaze. _Please, no needles… come on, Dude, you've seen one huge turtle, you've seen them all… you don't need to stick any needles in me, honest…_

"Justin?"

"Oh, good. Thank you for coming on such short notice, Karen."

Mikey opened his eyes at the new voice. A woman stood in the doorway. She had shoulder-length blond hair, which she'd pulled back into a pony-tail, and kind brown eyes. To his dismay, she was wearing a white lab coat.

_Oh shell, she looks like a scientist. Oh no…_

"I thought there were two, Justin?"

"Yes. I thought you could examine them one at a time. The other one is quite… violent. I've had him put into an isolated enclosure for now, a holding cage I usually use for the anaconda's breeding room. When you've finished with this one, I'll have the other one brought in."

The woman was smiling, nodding, approaching Michelangelo.

_Eeeeep! Wait a minute, lady, what do you think you're doing? Hey! Don't touch me…_ The woman's fingers were cool as she brushed them along Mikey's limbs, checking his skin.

"This is a recent scar," she said, pointing.

_No kidding. It's where Raphie accidentally stuck me with his sai in practice a couple weeks ago. Boy, was Sensei mad…_

"It seems to have healed cleanly."

_Thanks to Donny. Oh, man, bro, I hope they haven't got you yet. You've got to come get us out, you've just got to… I hope your plan works. Come get us, Donny, before they decide to cut me up._

Mikey lay, tense and shivering, as the woman poked and prodded, but to his great relief she showed no signs of producing any scalpels, blades or saws.

"One more thing…" she said with a bright smile. The blood drained from Michelangelo's face when he saw what she had in her hand. He squirmed, twisting and turning.

_No! No-no-no-no-no! _

The man put his hand down on his elbow, pinning his arm, as the woman stuck the needle into his exposed vein. A whimper escaped him.

"There, all done," said the woman, withdrawing her now-full syringe. "It wasn't so bad, now was it?"

_Yes it was! Wait… that's it? You're done?_

"I'll have the other one brought in now. Hun assures me they can be housed together," the man was saying.

"Do you think that's wise? Housing two males together?"

"They were captured together. I'll monitor their behavior. The other one's quite a bit larger. If he seems aggressive, I'll have to separate them."

The man opened the door, and motioned to someone in the hall. Mikey's eyes opened wide again as the two men who'd carried him in entered the room. He struggled, but the bindings were as unrelenting as ever. Cuffs were buckled onto his wrists, and a chain was wrapped around his plastron. The men pinned one arm, then the other, to his side, while they linked the cuffs to the chain, keeping Mike's hands effectively attached to his sides. Cuffs were strapped around his ankles as well, leaving him just enough room to walk.

"Come on, Turtle, let me show you your new home," said the man in charge, smiling. Michelangelo was marched down the hall, squirming the entire way.


	15. Chapter 15 Others

_Chapter 15 -Others-  
~~~_

Leonardo sighed

_This harness thing is getting old, fast,_ he thought. _Why the shell didn't she take the darn thing off me before she took off like that? Well, at least she took the muzzle off. I hope it wasn't a mistake to talk to her. Obviously Keagan didn't want her to know I'm not just an animal. I wonder what he'll do now?_

He squirmed, ineffectively, against the cuffs. _If I could just get loose! Wait, what's that sound?_ Thumps and shouts could be heard clearly from the hall. Leo smirked. _Sounds like one of Keagan's "specimens" is giving him some trouble._

The sounds faded, and Leonardo leaned back with a sigh. Until Keagan came back and released him, he was stuck. He closed his eyes, trying to meditate, but the uncomfortable position the cuffs kept him in made it difficult. The rasp of the key in the lock broke Leo's tenuous grip on concentration. He sat up as best he could, staring at the door. It opened slowly. His eyes widened as Josephine stepped tentatively into the room.

She hesitantly approached the cage, and stood watching him. Leonardo waited.

"Hi," she said finally.

"Hello."

She flinched. "So I wasn't… imagining things."

"No, I'm afraid not."

She sank to the floor, and sat, cross-legged, looking at him through the bars with wide brown eyes. Leonardo waited patiently. After a while, he began to feel uncomfortable under her stare. He frowned.

"What?"

Josephine blushed, and tore her gaze away. "Sorry," she muttered.

Leonardo sighed. "It's ok. I imagine it's a shock. You don't meet a mutated turtle every day."

"Mutated?" her eyes snapped back to his face. Leonardo gave her a tired smile.

"Yeah."

"How… I mean…"

"How did I get this way?"

"Yes."

"It's a long story."

Josephine leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "I have time."

Leonardo considered for a long moment. Finally, he sighed. "Listen. This… harness thing… it's uncomfortable. Will you take it off?"

She watched him, wary, uncertain. "Justin says you're violent."

"I am, with him. He brought me here. He locked me up like some kind of animal. He drugged me, and he's keeping me here against my will."

"Well… you are a turtle."

"Yes. And I'm a thinking, feeling being."

Slowly, she stood up. "How do I know you won't attack me?"

"You don't have to unlock the cage. You can reach through the bars, unbuckle the cuffs." The girl stood, watching him, wavering.

_She's not going to do it. I'll be stuck in this thing until Keagan sees fit to let me loose again…_

The girl moved toward the cage. She didn't look at him as she turned the key in the lock. She approached cautiously, watching him. Leonardo stayed very still. She knelt next to him, and looked into his eyes.

He met her gaze steadily. _Please…_

"Justin has another turtle like you."

"What?" Leonardo squirmed in the bonds, desperate to get loose. Josephine stood up and backed away, alarmed, and he stopped. "This turtle, what does he look like?" he asked urgently.

"He's lighter green than you, and his eyes are blue."

"Mikey. Oh, no."

"You know him?"

"He's my brother. If Keagan hurts him…"

"No, no, Justin had the vet in to see him, and then I think he was putting him in a holding enclosure. He looked ok, just scared, when I saw him."

"Michelangelo's scared of doctors, needles, anything to do with a laboratory." Leonardo's eyes filled with tears. "I've got to get out of here. I've got to help Mikey…"

"Justin's not going to hurt him. He'll be ok."

"No, Josephine, he won't be. Neither am I. How would you like it if someone took you away from your home, your family and your friends, and locked you up in some cage? Put _you_ in handcuffs, slapped a muzzle on you?"

She leaned forward, and grabbed the strap that held the cuff on his ankle. Leonardo held his breath as she unbuckled it. She reached over and unbuckled the other one. He waited. With a deep breath, she reached for the cuff on his wrist. Her hands were shaking as she unbuckled it.

As soon as she'd loosened it, he pulled his hand out, relieved to be free, and stretched his arm. Josephine jerked back, her eyes wide with panic. Leo looked up, surprised, at the trembling girl.

"Hey, it's ok," he said.

"Sorry," she muttered, coming closer again. She managed to unbuckle the second cuff with trembling fingers. She stood up, and backed away as Leonardo stood up and stretched. He turned to face her, and gave her a formal little bow.

"Thank you," he said.

Josephine stared. "You… you're welcome," she said faintly. Some of the tension left her face. Leo picked up the restraints, and Josephine backed up a few steps, alarm registering on her features. Leo carried the straps and chains to the side of the cage, and flung them through the bars, as far as he could.

He turned to face her. She watched him, wary and uncertain. Leonardo sighed. He sat down on the peat, crossing his legs and resting his hands lightly on his knees. Seeing him sitting calmly, Josephine seemed to relax. She sat down, copying his pose.

"So, are you from around here?" he asked. The girl stared at him. "You want to talk, right?" he asked with a smile.

"I want to hear how you came to be a five-foot-tall, bipedal, talking turtle," said Josephine quietly.

"Well, my father's better at telling it, but I suppose I could try."

"Your father?"

"Yes. Splinter. He raised us, my brothers and I."

"And, Splinter… is he a turtle, too?"

"Not exactly."

"Oh."

Leonardo smiled. "Let me begin at the beginning," he said.

Josephine's eyes got wider and wider as Leo told the story of four tiny pet-shop turtles, and an accident which had changed the course of their destinies forever.

"Please don't tell Justin any of this," he said quietly, when the story was finished.

"Why on earth not?"

"He already has one of my brothers, Josephine. He wants to collect us, he thinks we're some kind of new species. We're not _specimens_."

"I _work_ for Justin, Leonardo. I can't withhold information from him."

"Why did you take the muzzle off?"

"What?"

"Why'd you take it off? Why'd you take the harness off, if you think I'm just an animal you can study?"

"I… I don't know…"

"Make up your mind, Josephine." Leonardo couldn't sit still a moment longer. He stood up, anger and frustration burning through him. The girl went quite pale. He turned away, stalking away from her. "Please go away," he said. "Just leave me alone."

He heard her get to her feet. The cage door opened, and clinked shut again. After a moment, she spoke.

"Leonardo, I'm sorry." her footsteps padded away, down the hall, and disappeared.

Leo sank down onto the peat. He crossed his legs, and rested his hands on his knees. He deliberately slowed his breathing. In… out… in… out, and sought escape from the turmoil in his heart on the spiritual plane.

***

Josephine walked quickly to Justin's office. She knocked on the mahogany door, but there was no answer. She turned away, chagrined.

_Where could he be? Still with the vet and the other turtle? I thought he'd been moved to a holding enclosure already._

She wandered down the hall, looking at the snakes and lizards behind the glass with new eyes. _Do any of you miss your homes?_ she thought. _Of course you don't. Most of you were bred right here in this house. Most of you have never known the freedom of living in the wild. And you can't talk, can't cognate. You're not sentient beings. It's different for you. Isn't it?_

Josephine shook her head. She heard voices coming from the small exam room Justin had set up for the veterinarian, and headed that way.

"He's a fine specimen, much stronger than the other two. Look at the muscle tone and definition."

"I'm afraid you won't be able to tame him as easily." A woman's voice spoke. "He's rather aggressive."

"Oh, he'll come around."

Josephine knocked lightly on the door. After a moment, Justin opened it. "Josephine! How are things going with your little research project?"

"Oh… fine. We've made incredible progress. The harness and muzzle really aren't necessary, Justin. I'm able to handle him without the restraints."

"You took them off?" His eyebrows rose.

"Yes. I hope you don't mind."

"Josephine, you took a risk. What if he'd hurt you?"

"He's not aggressive at all, Justin. I had no problem with him. He's very… quiet." Josephine watched Justin's face for any reaction. Something flickered in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced with a warm smile.

"Karen, this is Josephine Kohler, the college student I told you about. She's helping me document the turtles' behavior patterns. She's made remarkable progress with the first one already." He stepped back, inviting Josephine into the room with a gesture. She walked in, and gasped. Strapped to the exam table was another turtle. He was much larger than either Leonardo or the other turtle Josephine had seen the men carry down the hall to the holding enclosure.

_His skin is much darker too. Oh! And what unusually-colored eyes. I wonder if this is another of Leonardo's brothers?_ The turtle glared at her with a fury that made Josephine step back. She was absolutely positive this turtle was fully capable of the violence Justin had cautioned her about with Leonardo. She felt quite relieved that this turtle was firmly restrained.

"Isn't he an amazing specimen? Soon I hope to have a complete collection," Justin was saying. "My supplier tells me there are four of these creatures. We brought another one in this afternoon. In fact, since things are going so well with the first one, I'd like to have you see what you can do with him. He's quite timid, I'm afraid."

"All right." Josephine agreed, only half listening. She was uncomfortable under the golden glare of the creature on the table, and would have agreed to walk across coals if it meant getting out of that room.

"Right this way," said Justin. He held the door open, letting Josephine precede him. With one last glance at the large turtle, she hurried out the door. Justin led her further down the hall, into another section. This area was much less posh, with tile instead of carpeted floors.

"This isn't a display area," he explained. "This is where the breedings take place. The enclosure I'm using is intended for anacondas. It's the only place I have that's large enough to house one of these creatures, even temporarily. My supplier assures me that the two I've just acquired can be housed together, but I'll have to monitor their behaviors. I don't want that large one harming the smaller one."

"Maybe you could put him in with Leonardo," suggested Josephine.

"Perhaps in the future, but right now Leonardo's still recovering from the treatment he suffered before he came to me. No, I'd like to let him recover a bit more."

"I see."

"The new turtle is right through here." He led her through a set of swinging doors, into a tiled room. Much like the room Leonardo's cage was kept in, this room was half taken up with a huge enclosure.

It had the same fresh peat substrate, but this enclosure sported a heavy glass front, and several thick logs fastened at varying angles for the snakes to climb and bask upon. Huddled in a corner, looking quite pathetic, was the lighter-green turtle. He looked up as Justin entered the room, and shrank deeper into the corner, as if he would hide. Josephine's heart twisted as she noticed what looked like fresh tear-tracks down the turtle's cheeks. _He's crying? How is that even possible? _

"Hi there," she said softly, approaching the glass. The turtle's eyes flicked fearfully from her to Justin and back again.

Justin cleared his throat. "Do you think you'd be all right if I left you with him? I really should get back to Doctor Johansson."

"I'm sure we'll be fine," said Josephine.

"Good, good. I'll be in the clinic if you need anything."

Josephine glanced at Justin. "Ok."

She waited impatiently for him to leave before she entered the cage. The turtle backed as far into the corner as he could as she approached. His wide, terrified gaze was so different from Leonardo's, Josephine stopped, watching him.

"Hi," she said softly. "Your name's Michelangelo, right?" His eye-ridges rose. He watched her warily. "I… I've met your brother, Leonardo. He told me your name." The turtle looked shocked, but didn't speak. "You're not… scared of me, are you?"

He swallowed hard, and finally, in a tremulous voice, he spoke. "That depends, dudette. Are you gonna stick any more needles in me?"


	16. Chapter 16 Files

**A/N: Good ol' Casey. Always ready to create chaos and mayhem. heh  
And I think Keagan's beginning to understand he's collected more than he can handle with Raphael.  
**

**Don't worry Jo, his bark is worse than his bite.  
**

**Reviews are loved as always!  
**

* * *

_Chapter 16 -Files-  
~~~_

"Come on, Donny, just let me _talk_ ta da guy."

"_No_, Casey. I'll do this myself. Just keep watch, ok? If I get in trouble, I might need you."

"Don, Raph's my best friend!"

"And he's _my_ brother."

Chocolate brown eyes and icy-blue ones met, glaring. April put her hands on their chests, pushing the two apart.

"All right, that's enough. Casey, we're going to wait in the van." He turned to her, opening his mouth, but April shook her head. "No, Casey Jones. Now _sit._"

Casey sat back in the seat, grumbling darkly under his breath. "How come Donny gets to have all the fun…"

Donatello shot April a grateful look, and slipped out of the van. He climbed the fire escape absolutely silently, keeping a sharp eye out for trouble. When he reached Greg Matthew's window, he noticed that the apartment within was absolutely still. Nothing stirred.

Donatello frowned. He was positive the man hadn't known he was coming. He slid the window open cautiously, sweeping a short black rod around the window to check for alarms or triggers before stepping inside.

The apartment looked as though it had been ravaged by a hurricane. Clothes were pulled half-way out of the dresser, and papers and books were scattered carelessly about. Donatello's gaze swept the room. He noticed the thick layer of dust on the furniture.

_No one's been here in at least a week. He must have run, right after the night we visited the first time. I guess Raph really did put the fear of shell into him. Now how am I going to find Keagan's address?_

Donatello's shell-cell beeped. He flipped it open. "Yes, April?"

"Don, you need to get out of there. A police car just cruised by. They didn't stop, but they were looking at the Battle Shell pretty closely."

Donatello swore.

"Donny!"

"Oh… sorry, April. Umm, listen, can you move the Battle Shell? Just buy me a little time, ok? Like, ten more minutes?"

"There aren't that many places I can park a huge armored truck with a turtle shell painted on the side in this city, Don, let alone where I can _hide_ it."

"I know, April, but Matthews has bailed. By the looks of things he left in a big hurry. I want to have a look around and see if I can find Keagan's address anywhere in this mess."

"Ok, Don, I'll try. Just hurry up."

"Thanks, April."

Don turned, and started sifting through the papers littering the floor. _Please let it be here. This may be my only chance of getting my family back._

The shell-cell beeped again.

"What is it, April?"

"We've moved a few blocks, Don, but I'm picking up a transmission on the scanner. They're calling for back-up."

"Oh, shell."

"Yeah. So, are you almost done?"

Donatello looked around the scattered room in despair.

"I don't know how I'll ever find it in here, April. His personal papers are scattered all over the place."

"Do you see any filing cabinets?"

"…No. Wait a minute, there are some plastic storage boxes in the closet. Let me look there."

"Hurry up, Donny." April's voice took on a nervous edge.

"I'm going as fast as I can," he muttered.

"_Goongala_!"

Donatello's head snapped around as he heard the faint battle cry from outside.

"April! What's going on? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Don. Casey's gone out to cause a… distraction, to buy you some more time."

Donatello shook his head. _The big goof._

"I hope he doesn't get himself arrested."

"Me too. Bail is getting more expensive every time."

He opened the first box, noticing the letters marked on the file tabs. A-I. Donatello set the box aside, and opened the next one. J-O. _This is it!_

He quickly leafed through the files.

"Donatello, we have to go _now_. April's slightly breathless voice came over the cell. "I hear shouting, and sirens. Whatever Casey did, it's raising an unholy ruckus about six blocks over."

He grabbed the entire sheaf of "K", and tucked it into his bag. "I'm coming, April." He slipped down the fire escape and followed his cell's tracer to the van. Climbing inside, he met April's anxious eyes.

"Did you find it?"

"I don't know yet. Where's Casey?"

"I don't… Oh, here he comes!"

Casey didn't slow down from his dead run, he simply dove, head-first into the Battle Shell. "Might wanna start drivin', April," he panted.

April wasted no time. Two very angry policemen were running down the block, guns drawn, as April pulled out of the alley and laid a trail of rubber as the Battle Shell shot off down the street.

"Casey Jones! What on earth did you do?"

"Trust me, April." Casey grinned, his blue eyes glinting with mischief. "You don't wanna know. Didja get what ya needed, Donny?"

"I think so, Casey," said Don. He was watching the rear-view mirror anxiously, but they had easily out paced the police vehicles. He glanced at the redhead behind the wheel. "Remind me to call you if I ever need a get-away driver, April."

"Any time, Don. Any time."

***

Raphael was not in the mood to be a cooperative specimen. When the doctor examined him, he edged as far away across the table as he possibly could. When she tried to take a blood sample, he tightened the muscles in his arm, making it difficult for her to find a vein. Finally she was forced to take the sample from his neck, with Keagan holding his head still. Raph growled and glared, but she finally managed to extract a syringeful of his blood.

When they'd finished with the exam, he struggled and fought as the restraining harness was put on him, heaving and thrashing on the table. If Densin's men had been any lighter, he might have managed to break free. As it was, it took both of them, with Keagan's help, to get the cuffs and chains in place, and he had to be carried down the hall to the enclosure.

Keagan was reconsidering his plan to put Raphael in with Michelangelo by the time they got the angry turtle to the cage. As he entered, he noticed Josephine sitting quietly with the smaller turtle. He was gazing at her calmly, with an almost friendly look, but when Justin entered the room, he stood up and backed away again. When the larger specimen was brought in, he came to the glass front, and pressed his hands against it, as if he wanted to reach the second turtle.

Amazingly, the larger turtle stopped struggling quite as hard as he was carried into the enclosure. Once the men set the large one down and backed out of the cage, the smaller turtle went to its side and knelt beside it, glaring at them.

"Well, I'll be," said Justin softly. Josephine stood up, brushing peat off her pants.

"Justin, I really don't think you need to leave him restrained and muzzled like that."

"This one's been quite violent," said Justin, shooting her a shrewd glance. "I think it's safer to keep him restrained. At least until he calms down."

"All right." Josephine was watching the two turtles. "But I think Mi… I mean, the smaller one, will take the restraints off, anyway." Even as she spoke, Michelangelo was working at the buckles that held the leather straps around Raphael's beak.

Justin stared. "Amazing. They seem to actually…"

"Care about one another?" finished Josephine quietly. Justin looked at her. "Justin, you know they can talk, don't you?"

He hesitated. "Yes."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Justin met her brown eyes, considering. "I wanted to see if Leonardo would speak to you of his own accord. I wondered how intelligent they actually are, and how they'd interact with you."

Josephine turned away, watching Michelangelo comfort his brother. He'd managed to get the muzzle off, and he was working the buckles loose on the wrist cuffs. "They're intelligent, Justin."

"Yes, I know. They're incredible."

"No, I mean, they're… intelligent like you and I."

"Now, Josephine, no matter how smart they may seem, they're just animals."

She looked at him as if she were seeing him for the first time, and shook her head. "They're more than just animals, Justin!"

"Josephine, please try to understand. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! These specimens are unique, one of a kind. Their DNA is close to human. We are looking at what could be an evolutionary leap, thousands of years ahead of its time!"

"What we're looking at is living, breathing, _sentient_ beings, locked in a cage and kept in restraints," she said quietly. "Justin, please. Let them go."

"I can't do that. This project cost me a great deal of money."

Josephine took a deep breath. "Justin, I… I can't work for you. I can't be a part of this. If you won't let them go… I'll go to the police. I'll go to the media. I'm sure Doctor Johansson will back me up, when she hears that the turtles are sentient…" Josephine spoke quickly, her vision blurred by tears. _I can't believe I looked up to him_, she thought.

"Josephine, your contract does specify your agreement to confidentiality," said Justin quietly. "I'm paying you a very generous wage."

"I know. But there are some things more important than money," she said in a choked voice. "Justin, this is tantamount to slavery!"

"I disagree," he replied. "This is an _opportunity_. These creatures… their DNA is so close to humans, they may be able to reproduce with a human female. Josephine, consider the possibilities! We could create a perfect specimen, a cross-breed between these amazing turtle creatures and human beings!"

She turned slowly, her eyes widening as she looked at him. "You're not serious?" she asked through pale lips. "You mean, you intend to… to… _breed_ them? What if they refuse?"

"They don't have a choice."

"This is insane. Justin, please, you _must_ let them go!"

"I told you," his voice took on a cold tone. "I've got a lot of money invested in this project. I thought _you_, of all people, would understand. You're studying to be a scientist, a biologist, surely you can see the potential their genetics carries. Surely _you_ can appreciate the possibilities."

Josephine shook her head. "Possibilities for what? A super-race? And what would become of the off-spring, Justin? Would they be raised in cages, kept on display, too?"

"They would be studied, raised in a proper, controlled environment, so their full potential could be reached, of course."

"You mean in a zoo. Justin, these are not mere animals! They have thoughts and feelings. They'll never go along with your plan."

"I'm afraid they don't have a choice. And, my dear, neither do you."

In one fluid motion, Justin stepped out of the cage, closing the door behind him.

"I'll give you an hour to reconsider, Josephine. It's your choice. You may continue in my employ as an observer of these creatures, or as a participant in my research. I'll come back in an hour, and see if you still think they're not just _animals_." He chuckled coldly.

Josephine's eyes went wide with fear as she met the golden glare of the large, muscular, very angry, and now unrestrained mutant turtle. She backed away, cowering against the door, as Justin left the room, his chuckle echoing faintly through the glass.


	17. Chapter 17 Trust

**A/N: Oh, man... Sorry Leo.**

_**Raphfreak **_**has something under her hat!!! ****But I'm not allowed to share it yet. *pouts* Watch this space, though, and her stories and profile, for something exciting Coming Soon!!! :)  
**

**Review, please!  
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**

* * *

**_Chapter 17 -Trust-  
~~~_

"Come on, Turtle. The Doctor wants to see you." Leonardo stood up, crouching into a fighting stance as Densin's men entered the room.

"Now, Leonardo, let's not make this more difficult than it has to be." Keagan came in, smiling.

"Keep them away from me, Keagan," snarled Leo. He barely noticed the men's shocked expressions at hearing him speak.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Now, will you come quietly, or will we need to use force?"

"Bring it on."

The two men approached slowly, one on each side. There was no gentle-kindness in their manner this time. Leo stepped back, then flew at the first man with a flying kick. He bounced off the man's chest. The man stepped back with a grunt, shook himself, and came forward again.

Leonardo swallowed hard. He tried a swift jab to the other man's gut, and found to his shock that they were wearing a sort of soft body-armor under their shirts. Leo changed his tactic, throwing punches at their exposed heads, but in the confined space, he was quickly forced into a corner. The men let his blows rain harmlessly on their protective padding while they backed him more tightly into the corner of the cage.

It took another hectic ten minutes, but in the end, Leonardo found himself once again bound, and carried to the examination room. He felt the blood drain from his face as he noticed the array of instruments laid out on a tray on the counter. Most disturbing was a very _long_ hypodermic needle.

_Oh shell._

"Just relax, Leonardo," said Keagan, standing near the table as Leonardo was strapped down, despite his continuing struggles. "Don't worry. We'll be using proper anesthesia, and Doctor Johansson is very good at her job."

"What are you going to do to me, Keagan?" asked Leo, just managing to keep the tremor out of his voice.

"We're just going to take a few samples," said Keagan, smiling.

Before Leo knew what was happening, one of the men approached from behind him, and forced the leather muzzle back into place over his beak. Leo pressed his head against the table, trying to escape, but it was no use.

"I've decided I'd rather keep Karen ignorant of your abilities, after all," said Keagan. "Since Josephine has threatened to tell the world about you, it would be best if we just kept your intelligence our little secret, don't you think?"

_Josephine's going to _tell_ people about us? Oh shell. I knew talking to that girl was a mistake! _

"Don't worry, Leonardo. I'm sure your brothers will be able to convince her to remain silent."

_My brothers? She said he has Mikey… Who else? Raph? Donny? If we're all caught, who's going to save us? Who's going to get us out of here? I've let them down. I've failed to protect them. It's all my fault…_

Leonardo felt a sharp pinch in his arm. Darkness whirled through his brain, and he knew no more.

***

Raphael regarded the quivering human girl with the utmost disdain.

_Typical. Scared o' da 'freaks'. What the shell is Keagan doin', anyway, lockin' her in here wit' us?_

"Josephine, it's ok. Raph's not gonna hurt ya," said Michelangelo.

Raphael glared at his younger brother. _Bonehead. I told ya not to talk to 'em!_

The girl seemed to be trying to meld with the door, she was pressed so firmly against it. Raphael glanced at her, realizing that she was staring at him with those huge brown eyes. He scowled at her.

_Shell, I didn't know a human could turn that white,_ he thought. _Guess she really is scared._

Michelangelo got up, and went over to the girl. She fell backward, scrambling to avoid him, but came to a sharp stop when she came up against the glass front of the cage. Raphael watched in amazement as his brother knelt down, and held out his hand, as one would to a frightened animal.

"Josephine, honest. Raph's grumpy, but he ain't mean. Keagan's just tryin' to scare ya."

"Oh fer cryin' out loud, Mikey. Quit talkin' to her like dat. She ain't no puppy."

"You're the one scaring her, Raph. Geez, didn't Splinter ever teach you any manners? Come over here and say 'hello'."

"Mikey, yer a bone-head. She's workin' fer Keagan!"

"Nah, Raph, Josephine's all right. She didn't know Leo could talk at first, she just thought he was like, a big _regular_ turtle or somet'ing, an' she ain't workin' for Keagan anymore, right Jo?"

"I… I'm not sure," she said, sitting up shakily. Her eyes were glued to Raphael. "He said I don't have a choice. You heard him. If I try to help you, he'll lock me up, too."

"Jo, ya can't go to the police. That wouldn't be helpin' us," said Michelangelo earnestly.

Raph's day had been long and difficult, and his patience was wearing thin. In an instant, it snapped entirely. "_What?_ You were gonna go to the _cops_ an' tell 'em about us? Are ya _nuts?_"

The girl startled at his shout, and cringed, holding up her hand as if she could shield herself from his fury. To Raphael's consternation, she burst into tears.

"Nice goin', Raph," said Mikey. He moved closer and patted her shoulder awkwardly. Raphael's eyes widened in surprise when she didn't flinch or jerk away from Mike's hand. Instead, she sat up a little and leaned toward him, as if seeking comfort. Michelangelo was never one to refuse a hug. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and drew her close to his plastron. The girl leaned against him, weeping.

_Aw, geez, now we've done it. Where do ya turn off the spigot on this sprinkler? She keeps this up, and we're all gonna drown in this oversized fish-tank._

"Raphie didn't mean ta scare ya," said Michelangelo. "He's a big, loud shell-for-brains sometimes…" Raphael growled. His brother ignored him. "But really, Jo, he's just a big, green marshmallow."

"_Mikey_…"

"I'm sorry, Michelangelo," said Josephine, sitting up and sniffling a little. "I want to help you, but I don't know what to do."

"Well, first ya can stop yer bawlin' all over da place," said Raph gruffly. Josephine glared at him. Raph ignored her. He stood up, and started exploring the cage, feeling along the walls for weak places. He pushed against the glass-plated front, and drew back his fist with a determined look.

"Oh, no, don't do… that." Josephine's warning came an instant too late. Raphael fell back a step, holding his arm, a grimace of pain crossing his features.

"It's special glass," explained Josephine, getting to her feet. "It's made to hold thirty-foot snakes. There's no way it's going to break that way."

"Now she tells me," growled Raph through clenched teeth.

"You really hurt yourself, didn't you? Let me see." Josephine came over, reaching for his hand.

Raphael jerked away. "No way, Lady. I'll be fine." _Shell, I guess she got over bein' scared o' me. _

"You might have broken your wrist!"

"I said it's fine!"

They glared at each other for a long moment. Finally, Raph turned away, and stalked across the cage, as far from Josephine as he could get.

She shook her head. "And you call your brother a bone-head?"

"He is a bone-head. And yer a nosy, interferin' pain in the…"

"Raph!" Michelangelo glared at his brother. "She was just tryin' to help."

"I don't need her help."

"Well, we're sure as shell not gonna get out of here on our own!"

"We don't need help from no human, especially _her_."

"Yes, I can see you're doing very well all on your own," said Josephine, her voice dripping sarcasm. Now that she was over her initial fright, she was showing some spirit. Raph wasn't sure he liked this better than the tears. "So far you've managed to get yourselves kidnapped, examined by a _veterinarian_, locked in a punch-proof snake enclosure, and _you_," she glared at Raphael, "have most likely broken your wrist. _Obviously_ you don't need any help at all, from me or anyone else!"

"Our brother'll get us outta here," snapped Raph.

"Donny? Has he got a plan?" Michelangelo looked hopefully at his brother. Raphael glanced warily at the girl, and sighed.

"Yeah, Mikey."

"So you _did_ get caught on purpose!"

Raph gave his youngest sibling a _shut up, Mikey_ glare, but Michelangelo chattered on, impervious to the impending doom of brotherly wrath.

"Wait a minute, you _let_ Keagan catch you? Are you _nuts?_" Josephine was watching Raphael with a mixture of shock and horror.

"Not entirely," he retorted.

"Listen," said Josephine. She sat down, cross-legged across from Raphael. "It looks like Justin plans to keep us all prisoner. Maybe we can help each other. If I can convince him that I'm willing to go ahead with his little research project, maybe he'll let me talk to your brother again. I might even be able to get a message out. You have friends, right? Somebody helping you?"

Raphael nodded reluctantly, cautious, but Michelangelo's enthusiasm knew no such restrictions. "Our brother, Donny, an' our Master Splinter, an' April and Casey. There gonna come for us, right, Raph?"

"_Shut up_, Mikey!"

Josephine shook her head. "You guys are so lucky. You've got somebody who'll come looking for you. Nobody will miss me."

"Ain't ya got a family?"

"No. Not anyone who'll miss me, anyway."

"Well, when Donny busts us outta here, we'll take ya wit' us, ok Jo?" Michelangelo beamed.

"Who says she'd wanna go wit' us, bonehead?"

"I want to get out of here as badly as you do, Raphael," said Josephine. Raphael watched her warily. "I've never met anybody like you guys before," she said softly. "I saw the look on Michelangelo's face when they brought you in. And Leonardo, when I told him I'd seen Mike, all he could think of was whether you guys were ok or not. I've never known a… family like you before. If you'll let me… I'd like to help you."

"Aww, come on, Raphy." Michelangelo punched his brother lightly on the arm.

"Why should we trust dis human?"

"Like you have a lot of other options?" Josephine met Raph's gaze. She sighed. "At least tell me how you got here."

"It's a long story."

"I've got time."

Raphael closed his eyes, reliving the hours before he'd been carried into Hun's warehouse in chains, muzzled and bound.

"Well, see, Donny and me, we had dis plan…"

***

_Donatello moved silently across the rooftops, shadowing his brother. Raph was using the shadows on the ground, the dark space beside the buildings, to move through the streets, more silently than a cat. He was in his element, hunting, searching the streets for his prey. _

_Before long, the hunter became the hunted, as he 'carelessly' stepped for a moment into the glow of a streetlamp, just as a couple of Purple Dragons happened to be looking his way. His feral grin flashed for an instant as the gang members excitedly radioed for reinforcements._

_Before long, a horde of PD's were moving through the streets. Raphael could hear the rustle of their clothing, the faint scrape of sneakers on the pavement._

_Sounds like a herd o' elephants out here tonight, thought Raph, smiling to himself. He meandered through the streets, until he came to a deserted alley. Looks like as good a place as any to make my stand._

_He waited until ten of them were blocking the alleyway's entrance before turning, with a growl. The gang members backed up, falling over themselves to get out of his way. Raph smirked. Cowards. He lunged at them again, but this time they found their courage and surged forward._

_He took out the first ten or fifteen just on principle, before allowing one of them to get a solid kick in against his muscular thigh. Raph staggered as if the kick had caused a real injury, and began fighting off-balance, as if he were favoring the leg._

_The gang members smelled blood, and surged forward to press their advantage. It was about then that Hun himself showed up. _

_He'd waded into the crowd, that familiar smirk crossing his features as he saw his enemy at an apparent disadvantage, wounded and overwhelmed by numbers. It was all Raphael could do to stick to Don's plan and allow himself to be taken. _

_Hun'll pay for that smirk, thought Raph. One day. But not tonight. Leo, Mikey, you guys better appreciate what I'm doin' fer ya._

_He feinted at Hun, and dodged as the ham-hand swung at him. In a show of rage, not all of which was acting, Raphael dropped his precious sais to the ground, 'You'd better pick 'em up, Donny…', and made an all-out raging lunge at Hun._

_Raph had seen the big man's fist flash out. He welcomed the blow as it connected with his plastron, driving out the air and knocking him on his back. His head hit the pavement, and everything went dark._

_***_

"Next t'ing I know, I was wakin' up in the back o' a truck, trussed up like a roast," said Raph. Michelangelo was nodding.

Josephine was staring at Raph in open shock. "You _are _nuts," she said.

Raph grinned. "Mebbe a little," he said.


	18. Chapter 18 Diversion

**A/N: Be sure to check out _RAPHFREAK'S_ profile for an amazing announcement!!!**

* * *

_Chapter 18 -Diversion-  
~~~_

Donatello read through the files twice. Then he went back through them again. No matter how many times he scanned the papers he'd taken from Greg Matthew's apartment, Keagan's name didn't appear.

It was clear that the files were records of customer's orders. But the more Don read, the more frustrated he became. None of the names on the slips were in any kind of alphabetical order. Donatello swore softly as he searched the files one more time, hoping against all odds that Keagan's name was amongst the copies of bills, invoices, specifications, and complicated personal notes Matthews had taken on each build.

April's hand on his shoulder almost made him fall out of his computer chair.

"Donny."

"April! What are you doing here?"

"Splinter called me."

Donatello shook his head in irritation. "I'm sorry, April. I just don't know what to do. Keagan's records aren't here. They've _got_ to be here someplace, but they're just not. If this guy's a big collector, he _must_ have bought stuff from Matthews in the past, but there's just nothing here."

"Have you figured out his filing system?"

"What?" Donatello looked at April as if she'd lost her mind. "April, I need Keagan's information. I don't have time to figure out why Matthews would use an alphabetized filing system, then not alphabetize anything!"

"Well, maybe if we figure out his system, we can figure out where Keagan's information is filed."

"… True. But we only have this one section."

"Don, you're the one who always tells me we have to use what we have, right?"

"Well, when I'm using scavenged parts to build something, yes, but…"

"This is no different. We'll use what we have to build a piece of the puzzle," said April patiently. "Don, listen. You go to bed. Splinter says you haven't slept in two days, ever since we broke into Matthew's place."

"How can I sleep, April? The guys are counting on me!"

"Don, you're not going to do the guys any good if you exhaust yourself. Now go to bed. I'll look over these one more time and see what I can come up with, ok?"

Donatello opened his mouth to protest, but April leaned forward and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He gaped at her, his fingers on his now-crimson face where her lips had brushed him. "Don. Go. Sleep."

"Yes, ma'am." Donatello staggered to his feet, and barely made it across the Lair, upstairs, and to his bed, before falling into a deep sleep.

April shook her head, smiling.

_He's so dedicated, so passionate,_ she thought. _He loves them. He doesn't express it the same way as the others. Mikey is exuberant and affectionate, always trying to make his brothers laugh. _

_Raph may be sullen and angry sometimes, but he defends them with his very life. Leo strategizes and plans, thinking of every possible threat. Donny works so tirelessly, and so often in the background, but he loves and needs them as much as they need him. _

She turned to the avalanche of papers covering Donatello's desk, and began scanning the sheets, looking not for Keagan's name, but for any common factor amongst the papers.

First, she examined the personal information of the customers, which seemed the logical starting point. Nothing was remotely the same. Customers hailed from all over the city, and a few orders were national, and even international. Shipping and installation dates were no less diverse. They ranged from a few weeks prior to several years.

April began to examine Matthew's personal notes. Her eyes widened as she read the lists of customizations.

_This guy doesn't mess around. Imported driftwood, recessed, built in basking lamps set on timers with adjustable temperature controls…Sounds like a snake's dream home. Hmm… This series of letters and numbers… It seems to correlate to the customizations and size of the cage…_

April's eyes widened. She sorted the pages by the line of numbers and letters typed on each top left hand corner. Soon she discovered that each line started with several letters, followed by a series of numbers. When she examined the papers still in their original order, she discovered that each set began with the letter "K".

"Bingo," said April, a smile crossing her face. She frowned. "Now all we have to do is figure out what these letters and numbers mean, and figure out which one corresponds to Keagan's information."

She sighed, and went back to reading, matching the information in the notes to the letters and numbers in the lines.

_Hmm. It seems as though each number corresponds to a feature that was added to the cage. The material used in each of these cages was the same. I'll bet the first letter, "K", refers to the material that was used. Then the second letter is…_ April studied five more sets of notes before she caught the connection. _The second letter corresponds to the size of the enclosure! The other letters and numbers refer to the various customizations and add-ons. I've done it! I've figured out Matthew's filing system._

Her face fell as she realized the enormity of the problem facing them. Although they had a basic idea of what Justin Keagan had ordered from Greg Matthews, they had no way of knowing which letter and number sequence Matthews had assigned to the materials involved in the build. His filing system, which undoubtedly made perfect sense to Matthews, was completely inscrutable to outsiders.

_Probably purposefully so,_ thought April. _To discourage people who would do exactly what we're doing, stealing his files to get information on a customer. With high-paying clients like Keagan, it makes sense that Matthews would do everything he can to protect their privacy. Well, there's only one thing to do. We're going to have to break into that apartment again, and get _all_ the files. _

April climbed the stairs slowly to the upper level, and knocked softly on Donatello's door. "Donny? Are you sleeping?" When there was no response, April hesitantly pushed the door open a crack, and peered in. Donatello lay sprawled on his bed. He hadn't even removed his mask before falling asleep. One arm hung off the side of the bed. He looked so alone, so vulnerable.

_He's carrying such a huge burden for them right now. It must be so hard for him to be all alone, when he's used to being surrounded by his brothers. It must be so hard for him to be left behind._

"April?"

April jumped, turning to meet Splinter's black eyes. "Oh! Splinter, you… you startled me."

"I am sorry, April. Is everything all right?"

"Yes, Master Splinter. I've figured out the filing system. We're going to have to go back for the rest of those files."

Splinter frowned. "Donatello has already risked much in breaking into this man's apartment, and engaging in a police chase."

"You're right," said April softly. She glanced at the sleeping turtle again. Splinter followed her gaze, and smiled. He went to his son's side, and carefully tugged the blanket over him. Donatello snuggled into his pillow, a faint smile relaxing the worry from his expression as he sighed deeply.

"We shouldn't wake him," said April, half to herself. "Splinter, I'll come back tomorrow."

"Good night, April." Splinter watched as April left the Lair. She moved with a purposeful stride he'd seen in his own sons many times before, when they had decided on a plan of action and would not be swayed.

_I only hope she knows what she is doing,_ he thought. He turned and made his way back to his own room. His son was finally getting some much-needed sleep. Despite his fears and worries over those still missing, he would try to do the same.

***

"Casey, I need you to help me break into Greg Matthew's apartment again."

"April, are you _nuts? _I almost got shot by dem cops! What if they're still patrollin' de area?"

"Casey, Don needs those files. We'll get in, get the boxes, and get out."

"I t'ought he had de files."

"He didn't get the right ones. The guy has some kind of weird filing system. There's no way to find the name without going through each and every file."

"Well, do we hafta steal the files? Why not just read 'em there?"

"I don't know if we'll have that kind of time."

"Babe, you get in and find da files. I'll give ya all da time ya need."

"Casey Jones! I'm not bailing you out of jail _again_!"

"Don't worry, April." Casey held up his hands in surrender, giving her his best innocent grin. "I gotta plan."

The redhead rolled her eyes. "I just know I'm going to regret this."

It was much less difficult to be inconspicuous in Aprils little hatchback than it had been in the Battle Shell. They parked in an alleyway, several blocks from Matthew's apartment building, and made their way casually down the street, holding hands and talking quietly.

_Anyone watching will see a couple out for a stroll. They'll never connect us with a break in and whatever chaos you plan to cause, _April explained to Casey.

His blue eyes sparkled. _April, yer a genius._

_I know._ She'd giggled at the expression on his face. _Come on._

When they reached the darkened alley facing Matthew's apartment, Casey gave April a boost up to the fire-escape. While she wasn't nearly as agile or silent as Donatello had been, no windows opened, and no curious neighbors looked out to see what she was doing as she climbed up to the window and slipped inside. The apartment was still dark and quiet, exactly as Donatello had left it. April cautiously picked her way through the mess, and knelt next to the boxes Donatello'd left out in his haste. She opened the lid on the first one, and began leafing through the papers.

Casey waited below, fidgeting. It felt unnatural to him to lean quietly on the side of the building while April did "the dirty work", as he thought of it, but she'd insisted he stand guard. He knew better to argue with her when she came up with one of her hare-brained schemes. She was just too smart to argue with.

_She's got a way of makin' t'ings sound so reasonable,_ thought Casey. _Like it's a good idea fer her ta be up in dat apartment all alone…_

Something, a movement across the street, caught Casey's attention. Cautiously, he moved along the edge of the building, keeping a wary eye out. Casey scowled as he saw a man skulking along the street, looking over his shoulder every few steps.

_Somet'in ain't right,_ thought Casey. He stayed in the shadow, taking advantage of what he'd learned about stealth from watching Raph. He didn't have the art of blending invisibly into the background that Raph had, but to the street punks of New York City, he had become a ghostly terror, appearing seemingly out of nowhere and melting away into the shadows, leaving their bruised and moaning bodies behind for the police to clean up.

Casey watched as two older teenagers ducked out of a doorway, darting half a block, and ducking into the alley across the street as the man glanced nervously over his shoulder again. They kept just out of his sight, but it was obvious the man was aware that _something_ was following him. He picked up his pace. The two teens grew bolder, following openly now. Casey watched them pass under a street lamp, and saw the distinct purple outline on one of the boy's arms. His eyes narrowed.

_Purple Dragons, out on the prowl. April I t'ink I just found ya a distraction. _He smiled, pulling out his favorite hockey stick and twirling it in his fingers, much as Donny would his bo. _Looks like dis ain't yer lucky night, punks._

Casey Jones stepped out of the alley, and using the building's deeper shadows for cover, followed the Purple Dragons down the street.

***

April flipped through the last of the files in the first box, her heart sinking.

_Nothing, and I've been at this almost twenty minutes. I can't take all night, but by going so fast, I might miss something…_ She flipped open the second box, and froze as she heard a noise in the alley outside.

"Is this where you saw the guy, Clancy?"

"Yeah, I'm sure of it. Should we call for back-up?"

"Nah, not yet. Let's do a perimeter search of the neighborhood, and see if he's hanging around somewhere. You know, sometimes I think we're wasting our time, chasing this vigilante guy. I heard a rumor the Purple Dragons are a bigger gang than the chief likes to let on."

"Well, you know the chief. He won't admit to anything befouling our fair city." There were snickers down below. April held her breath as she heard the crackle of a radio carry clearly through the clear night air, through the window she'd left slightly open.

"Three-four-one and three-four-two, this is Dispatch. Come in Three-four-one and three-four-two."

"Three-four-one here, Dispatch, go ahead."

"We have a report of an altercation in progress in the area of Fifth and Main, three-four-one. Three perpetrators. One wearing a white tee-shirt and black denim pants, one wearing a black hooded shirt with blue denim pants, and one wearing a white tank top and tan pants, a hockey mask, and carrying a weapon. Are you able to respond, three-four-one?"

"Yes, Dispatch. We're on our way. Three-four-one out."

The radio crackled again, and April heard footsteps running.

_Oh, Casey,_ she thought. _I hope you know what you're doing. This is not a good time for "busting heads" as you like to put it._

With some difficulty she turned her attention back to the papers. She'd gone through almost half the box when the name jumped out at her.

_Justin Keagan, 1834 Hudson Drive, Westchester._

April held the invoice in trembling hands. _I found it! I can't believe it, I actually found it!_ She stood up, tucking the precious piece of paper into her pocket. She made her way back to the window, but the reflection of flickering lights bounced off the side of the building, telling her the police weren't so very far away.

April thought a moment. She really didn't want to have to explain to the officers why she was climbing down the fire escape in the middle of the night. She turned, and felt around until she located the front door of the apartment. Slipping out, she closed the door behind her, and headed for the stairs. Five minutes later, she stepped out onto the sidewalk like a law-abiding citizen leaving her own apartment. She walked quickly, but not too quickly, back to the car. She hopped into the driver's seat, and reached for the key, wondering which precinct she'd have to visit to bail Casey out this time.

A hand caught her shoulder, and a small scream escaped her.

_Oh no, not a carjacker, not tonight… I so don't have time for this…_

"April."

"Casey Jones, you nearly gave me a heart-attack!"

"Sorry, Babe. You might wanna, you know, start drivin'," he said with a quiet chuckle.

April glanced over the back of her seat at the man tucked uncomfortably into the cramped space on the floor behind her. He sported an impressive black eye, and a swollen, bleeding cheek, which contrasted with his jaunty grin.

"Casey Jones, what have you been doing?"

"Trust me, April, you don't want to know."


	19. Chapter 19 Unpredictable

**A/N: Over 100 reviews. *sniff* I am truly touched, and amazed by the faithful readership this story has ... sorry for the pun... collected. **

**Once again, a big Thank-You to _Raphfreak_ for being the best beta-reader, staying-up-all-night encourager, and one of the most amazing authors I've met in a long time. Be sure to check out her profile for details on the art contest.**

**Raphael's temper will begin to cause Keagan, and the guys, some real trouble in this chapter. **

**

* * *

**_Chapter 19 -Unpredictable-  
~~~_

Darkness… pain… A whirling, tilting sensation. Leonardo heard groaning, as if from far away. Something touched his forehead, a soft hand. _Donny? _

"What did you do to him?" A female voice, upset, high with emotion.

_Donny didn't do nothin' to me, April. Whatsa matter? What the shell is going on?_

"Doctor Johansson took a few samples. He's been anesthetized, but it should wear off soon."

_That voice…_ Leonardo struggled against the darkness clouding him. That voice was a threat. The woman, _not April?_, was in danger. He had to wake up, had to help her.

"Will you stay with him? I don't want him to injure himself as the sedative wears off."

"You should put him with the others. They'd all be happier together."

"I don't have a suitable enclosure large enough yet. He'll be fine. Just keep an eye on him."

"I'll stay with him."

Leo heard moaning, but this time he was aware that it was his own, and that made it possible to stop. He felt the cool fingers on his forehead again.

"Leonardo. I'm so sorry." Something splashed on his cheek.

Slowly, he forced his reluctant eyes open. A vision was leaning over him, one hand on his plastron, the other brushing lightly over his forehead. She had dark brown eyes and black hair that swung forward, framing her face. Leonardo looked up into her dark eyes.

"_Amatsu-otome_?"

"What? Leonardo, can you hear me?" She looked at him in confusion. He closed his eyes again, and heard her gasp.

"Leonardo, stay with me. Please wake up." Her voice was soft, but urgent.

_Don't want to wake up. I'm so tired…_

"Leonardo! Open your eyes. Wake up."

_No, I think I won't._

"Leonardo… Leonardo, please. Please wake up."

_Well, since you ask so nicely…_

He forced his eyes open again. The girl was still there. He knew her name… He frowned, trying to dredge up the information from his drug-fogged brain. _Josephine._

He was angry with her, wasn't he? But remembering why took too much energy, energy he couldn't spare at the moment. Right now, her hand on his forehead was cool and soft, and her eyes were pools he could get lost in. A faint smile crossed his face.

"Jo…Josephine."

She smiled. "Leonardo. I'm glad you're awake. Are you ok?"

"I… think so. What… happened?"

"Keagan had Doctor Johansson take some kind of sample from you. You were anesthetized for the procedure. It'll wear off soon. Leonardo, I've seen your brothers. They want you to know they're ok."

"Raphy, Mike…"

"Yes. They're here, but they're fine. Raphael has a broken wrist…"

"Raph's hurt?" Leonardo struggled to make sense of the words. Anger helped clear some of the fog from his mind. "How?"

"He punched a wall."

_Oh. _"Why?"

"He thought he could break it."

A chuckle worked its way up from Leonardo's chest. "Sounds like Raph."

"Keagan wanted to put him back in the restraints, but I talked him out of it."

"Keagan…" _Oh yeah, the guy keeping us here. Damn. I'd almost forgotten about him._ "He listens to you?"

"Well," Josephine sat back on her knees, and brushed her hair out of her face with one hand. She avoided Leo's eyes. "He thinks I'm still working for him."

_Oh, right. That's why I was angry with her. We argued…_

"I'm not." She looked at him again, her eyes pleading for understanding. "I'm not, Leonardo. I've seen Justin's true colors, and I'm going to help you if I can."

"Why are you still here?" Leonardo struggled to sit up. Josephine, seeing him try to rise, put her hand on his shell and helped him. He sat up, and scooted back so he could rest his shell against the back wall. He watched her. "Why don't you just leave?"

"I can't. I threatened to leave, and to call the police, to stop what he's doing to you. I asked him to let you go. He wouldn't listen. He… he locked me in the cage with your brothers. I think he thought Raphael would attack me, and I'd see that you're really just animals."

"Raph would never…"

"I know. Keagan was trying to scare me. It worked." She gave a little shiver. "Raphael's scary when he's mad."

"Yeah, I know. I live with him, remember?"

"When he came back, I yelled and begged him to let me out. I said I would help him with his research. I said… I…" she trailed off, avoiding his eyes again.

"What?"

"I said you were all obviously just freaks of nature," she finished quietly. "I… I had to, Leonardo. I had to tell him what he wanted to hear. So I could help you. This way, he thinks I'm still working for him. He'll let me talk to you, let me talk to Mikey and Raphael. I can carry messages."

"I understand. Josephine, thank you for trying to help us."

"I just wish I could do more. Raphael said he and Donatello had a plan for getting you all out of here, but…"

"What happened?" Leonardo's gaze was intense. Josephine looked away.

"Raphael said Donatello attached a tracer to the inside of his shell. Leonardo, I checked. It wasn't there."

Leo felt himself go cold. _How the shell will Donny find us?_

"I'm sorry, Leonardo."

He shook his head. "It's ok, Josephine. I know my brothers. Don won't give up. He'll come for us."

"That's what Raphael said. Mikey was pretty upset."

Leo glanced at her. "You call him 'Mikey'?"

Josephine blushed. "Yeah. He asked me to. Anyway, 'Michelangelo' seems… I don't know, kind of… too formal. He's really sweet. I was talking to him before Justin brought Raphael in. He told me he was really worried about you. The poor guy, he was so scared, and all he could think of was whether you were ok."

"That's typical."

The door from the hallway swung open, making them both jump.

"Josephine?" Justin Keagan strode into the room. "Oh, good, he's awake. Come on, I need your help with the other one."

Leonardo scrambled to stand up, a low growl in his throat. Josephine shot him a nervous look, and stood up, brushing the peat off her jeans. "Coming, Justin."

The man turned and walked out. Leonardo watched him leave, then glanced at Josephine, his eye-ridges rising. She caught his gaze, and looked away.

"Josephine, wait."

She turned, looking at him questioningly. Leonardo saw the hesitancy, the worry in her eyes. "You can call me Leo."

Her white teeth flashed, and she ducked out the door.

_She's pretty when she smiles,_ he thought. He bent his knees to sit, and stopped, a frown crossing his face. There was a distinct, sharp soreness in his left thigh. He leaned forward, searching, but saw no obvious injury. He twisted, exploring the pain.

_What the shell?_ It was centered very high, and to the inside, of his leg, under the lip of his plastron. _What the shell did Keagan do to me?_

***

Josephine followed Justin down the hall, back to the area where Michelangelo and Raphael were being held. His very presence made her skin crawl.

_I can't let him know. He's got to believe I'm on his side._

"Which one of the specimens is giving you trouble?" she asked, keeping her voice calm and steady.

"It's the large one. He'll have to be sedated if he won't let us treat that arm, but I don't want to risk using drugs if we have any other alternative."

_And you can't get near him without him tearing you into bite-sized pieces,_ thought Josephine with a small smile.

"I'd hoped you could convince him to settle down. Even the restraints aren't helping."

"What? You put the harness back on him?"

"Yes. Densin's men were helping control him and moving the smaller one, but one of them had to be taken to the hospital. I'm afraid his shoulder is broken. Even with the restraints and the muzzle, Karen can't get near the large one. He's too violent."

"Mi… I mean, the smaller one, will remove the cuffs."

"We had to move him to another enclosure. That's how Densin's man got his shoulder broken. I'm afraid I underestimated the smaller one. He can kick pretty hard."

Josephine suppressed another smile. _Go, Mikey._

When Justin led her into the enclosure, she gasped. Raphael wasn't just angry, he was _furious._ His amber eyes flamed over the muzzle. He struggled, growling, against the restraints. If Josephine hadn't talked to him only a few hours before, she would have believed he truly was an extremely violent wild animal.

_Oh, Raphael. I'm so sorry. _She didn't wait for Justin. She rushed to unlock the door and hurried to Raphael's side. He squirmed, trying to move away from her, but his glare was on Justin. The man shook his head, seeing her reach for the muzzle.

"Josephine…"

"You can't leave this thing on him," she said firmly, unbuckling the muzzle, and sliding it off. "It's just making him madder."

"You got dat right. Keagan! Get over here! Get dis stuff offa me! Where's Mikey? I swear, if you don't bring him back in here…" Raphael struggled to sit up, but the harness limited his movement.

"Shh, Raphael, calm down. Mikey's fine," said Josephine, earning herself a dose of Raphael's laser-beam glare.

"Didja see 'im?"

"Not yet. I was with Leonardo."

"Den howdaya know he's 'fine', ya connivin' Jezebel? Get outta here. I don't want you in here. Get outta here and _leave me the shell alone!_" His voice rose to a shout, and Justin stepped forward, as if he would protect Josephine.

She held up her hand, stopping him. "No, Justin, it's all right. Bring me a first-aid kit. I'll treat his injury. It's not badly broken, it just needs to be splinted and wrapped."

Justin hesitated. "I'd really prefer to have Karen have a look…"

Josephine looked at him. "You'll have to drug him for that."

The man sighed. "All right, you win. I'll bring the medical equipment."

"Ya ain't gonna touch me! Get away, _human…_"

"Would you rather be sedated?" she asked sharply.

Raphael's only answer was a low growl and another glare, but he stopped struggling. "…All right," he finally relented. "But ya better bring Mikey back in here."

"Justin?" Josephine sat up, brushing her hair back away from her face.

"We'll see," answered Keagan reluctantly. "If he remains cooperative, I suppose we can bring the other one back in. I didn't want to risk him getting injured."

"He'll be stressed by the separation," said Josephine, keeping her tone clinical, detached. "After I wrap this one's arm, I'll go and check on him, ok? Maybe we can bring him back in then?"

"Well, now that one of Densin's men is out of commission…"

"I'm sure I can move him. You won't need help."

Justin looked skeptical. "We'll see. I won't risk one of them getting loose."

"Don't worry, I can handle them." Josephine met Keagan's eyes steadily, pointedly ignoring Raphael's derisive snort.

"Well, it is what I hired you for." He smiled. Josephine suppressed a shudder, and forced herself to smile back.

"I'll get those supplies." He turned, and left them alone.

"Raphael, are you ok?" Josephine met his eyes nervously, almost expecting to see the fury still there. His sudden smile quite unnerved her.

"Ya t'ink we convinced 'im?" He smirked at the expression on her face.

"You sure convinced _me_."

Raphael laughed. It was a rich, deep sound. "Sorry. I didn't mean ta scare ya."

"I was almost glad you had this stupid harness on!" Josephine giggled.

"It's itchy," complained Raphael. "Can't ya take it off now?"

"Not yet. After I get that arm wrapped, ok? If I take it off too soon, Justin will suspect something."

"Yer right. Wait a minute, ya t'ink yer gonna do what ta my arm?" His glare returned, but at a much lower wattage. He looked wary.

Josephine crossed her arms over her chest, giving him a stern look. "Now, Raphael, you have to let me take care of it. Would you rather let him sedate you?"

"…No."

"What's wrong, Raphael? I thought you trusted me."

His eyes flickered away from her face with an almost guilty look. "It's just that… Our brother Donny takes care of all our injuries. I don't like lettin' someone else… anyone else… do not'in like dis."

"I see. You trust me, just not my medical knowledge?"

"Somet'in like that, yeah."

Josephine touched his arm. "I have set and wrapped bones before." He gave her a surprised look. "It wasn't the same," she confessed. "I worked in an animal rescue."

Anger flickered in Raphael's eyes, and Josephine sighed. "I know _you're_ not an animal, Raph. I meant, I can do this without causing more damage."

"Ok." his voice was so soft, she almost missed it.

Josephine smiled. "Don't worry, Raphael. You're not going to lose the hand, I promise." He grimaced, and looked away.

"Raphael, are you ok?"

"No."

"You _don't _trust me, do you?"

He looked at her. Josephine sighed, and reached for his hand. Raph wrenched as far back as he was able, and clamped his teeth against a hiss of pain as his arm jerked against the cuff.

"Let me look at it, Raphael."

"Wait… Not while I'm stuck in dis… t'ing."

Josephine looked at him. He would never say it, but she could see it in his eyes.

_Please._

"Ok," she said softly. They waited in silence a few more minutes, until Justin walked in with the first aid supplies. Raphael tensed up, and Josephine laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder before standing up to meet Justin at the door of the cage.

"He's calm now. I'll go ahead and wrap his arm. Then can we take these restraints off, and bring the other one back in? It's the only way to keep him calm."

"… All right. If you can get that arm wrapped, and you think it's safe, you can take the harness off."

Josephine nodded. She took the supplies and turned back to Raphael. "It would be best if you'd leave me alone with him," she said.

"All right. Josephine?"

"Yes?"

"Be careful. Remember, they are wild animals. He might be unpredictable."

Josephine didn't answer. She moved over to Raphael, and knelt beside him. She waited until Justin left the room, closing the door quietly, and started removing the cuffs. She rolled her eyes and snorted. "'Unpredictable'. He has no idea," she said.

Raphael grinned. "Nope."


	20. Chapter 20 Reconnaissance

_Chapter 20 -Reconnaissance-  
~~~_

"April, are you sure dis is a good idea?" Casey Jones held an icepack to his still-swollen eye.

"I _know_ it is. Can you imagine if Don went to this house and the guys weren't there?"

"Y-eah, I guess he'd flip."

"Casey, he's exhausted. He's been driving himself crazy."

"You'd know, Babe."

They pulled up to a quiet, tree-lined street.

"I don't know about you, Babe, but I don't see no house 'round here. Just a big stone wall, an' a gate."

"The house is behind the wall, Casey."

"Whoa. Dis guy's got some yard."

"And security cameras. Probably guard dogs, too. Hmm…"

"So how we gonna get in der?"

"I'm thinking. Didn't Donatello say that he gives tours to college kids?"

"…Yeah."

"Well, I just enrolled."

"April, are ya sure 'bout dis?"

"Yep." She stepped purposefully out of the car.

"What about me?"

"Sit tight, in case I get in trouble."

"…Ok."

April walked purposefully up to the gate, and pushed the button on a small speaker box mounted on the column.

"Yes?"

"Hi. My name's _A-pril Jones, _and I heard Mr. _Keagan_ lives here, an' he gives tours of his _collection_ on occasion, and I wondered if…" she chattered, emphasizing her words with snaps of her chewing gum.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Jones, but the tours are arranged through the college. You'll need to see your herpetology professor to sign up."

"Ooooh," April drew the word out, sounding sorely disappointed. "My professor's real busy, so I thought I could maybe just stop by. My uncle, Dean Kinney, said.."

"You're Mark Kinney's niece?"

"Yes."

"Well, perhaps Miss Jones, special arrangements can be made. Please wait there. Someone will come down soon to meet you."

April waved to Casey, giving him a quick thumbs-up signal. He waved half-heartedly back. Soon, a tall, slender woman hurried down the drive, and pushed a button, unlocking the gate.

"Miss Jones," she said warmly, holding out her hand to April.

"Hiya!" April put on her best grin.

"My name is Delilah. I work for Mr. Keagan. Please, do come in. Mr. Keagan is busy at the moment, but he asked me to personally give you the tour."

"Oh, that would be _so great!_" April gushed. "I'm just starting the program, but Uncle Mark says I should definitely see Mr. Keagan's collection, 'cause he's got the _best_ and _most diverse_ in the whole state!" April put on a wide-eyed look.

Delilah's smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "Well, Mr. Keagan is always happy to further the education of young scientists," she said politely, obviously thinking that April wasn't the brightest antelope in the herd. April followed the woman up the long driveway, through the mahogany double-doors, and into a tiled hallway that would have done the White House proud.

"Most of the collection is through here." Delilah led April into a hall lined with glass-fronted enclosures full of more different kinds of reptiles than April could count. Delilah pointed out each species, mentioning its native habitat, its eating habits, and where it was collected. April nodded politely, and made gushing comments every few minutes, all the while watching carefully for any sign that three large mutated turtles might be hidden somewhere on the premises.

"Where does that go?" she asked, smiling expectantly and pointing to swinging double doors.

"Oh, those doors lead to the veterinary clinic, and to the breeding enclosures. That's not part of the tour," said Delilah sharply as April started toward the doors.

"Oh," April pouted. "I was hoping to see some of the behind the scenes stuff, you know, what goes into keeping a collection as extensive as Mr. Keagan's. It's so _fascinating_, how he's able to care for so many."

"Mr. Keagan cares for each specimen personally," said Delilah with a hint of pride. "He handles all the feeding and basic care himself." Just as she spoke, a young, doe-eyed girl came through the double doors, looking purposeful as she strode down the hall April and Delilah had just come from. April's eyes widened slightly as she saw the equipment the girl was carrying. Bandages, antibiotic cream, and… was that a _muzzle?_ The leather looked soft, and the edges were padded, but the straps and buckles attached to the leather cup made April think of the things used on dogs to keep them quiet. She imagined the device on the face of one of her friends, and it was all she could do not to shake the girl and demand she take her to the turtles immediately.

_Oh, Leo! Raph, Mikey… what are they doing to you?_

"Hi!" said April brightly. The girl jumped. April noticed she looked very nervous, almost fearful, as her glance flickered to Delilah and landed back on April's face. "Do you work for Mr. Keagan?"

"Uh, yes. I'm helping him with… some research. My name's Josephine. Josephine Kohler."

"It's nice to meet you, Josephine! I'm April. What kind of research are you doing?"

"Umm… Mr. Keagan is studying the behaviors of some of his collection. He's recently acquired some new specimens, and they require special handling."

"Oh. What's all that for?" April pointed. The girl nearly dropped the things in her hands. April noticed an expression of disgust pass over her face as she glanced down at the muzzle.

_Hmm…_

"Just some equipment. Mr. Keagan doesn't need it right now so I'm putting it away for him."

_So he doesn't need it right now? Why not? Did you find another way to keep them quiet?_

"What's it for?" asked April innocently.

"Umm… It was nice to meet you. I have to go now." The girl practically scuttled down the hall.

April frowned. _Darn. Scared her off. If they've been using muzzles on the guys… But at least that means they're alive. And fighting. _

She composed her face, and turned to Delilah. "What a nice girl. Does Mr. Keagan hire a lot of kids from the college to help?"

"Delilah, who is this charming young lady?" A tall, dark-haired man strode down the hall. April turned, flashing a smile.

"This is April Jones, Mr. Keagan," explained Delilah. Her plucked eyebrows rose slightly. "_Mark Kinney's_ niece."

"Well, well, I'm delighted to meet you, Miss Jones," Keagan smiled warmly.

April took his offered hand, trying not to shudder. "It's so nice to meet you, Mr. Keagan," she gushed. "Your collection is _amazing_. I've never seen so many reptiles in one collection. I've heard you have some of the rarest animals in the _world_."

"It's true, I do have some unusually fine specimens," said Keagan. "I hope you've enjoyed the tour."

"I had hoped to see some of the behind the scenes workings, Mr. Keagan. I'm thinking of working in the zoo one day. The animals are just so _cute."_ April put on her most charming smile.

Keagan smiled again, but his expression was becoming strained. "I'm afraid that's not possible today, Miss Jones. One of my newer specimens injured itself, and has to be isolated so it's not stressed by too many visitors. I hope you'll understand."

"Oh, the poor thing," cooed April. "Is that why Josephine had all those bandages? I hope it's not badly hurt."

"Well, this is the end of the tour," Delilah said quickly. She practically hustled April back down the hall and out to the main entrance. "I'll just walk you out to the main gates."

"Goodbye, Miss Jones," said Keagan, turning away. As he turned, April noticed a bruise on the side of his face, just beginning to darken.

_Wait a minute, where'd Josephine go?_ thought April. There were no other doors leading off the hallway she'd been in, and yet there was no sign of Josephine. Before she had time to think much about it, she was standing outside the gates, watching Delilah's slim back disappear up the walk. April turned back to the car, a small smile playing across her lips. The guys were here, in this house, she was sure of it now.

She slid into the driver's seat. Casey looked at her, his eyebrows rising. "Well?"

"They're here. Let's go get Don."

***

"You did _what?_"

"Don, calm down. It was perfectly safe."

Donatello stared at the paper in his hand, then looked at his human friend, then back to the paper.

"So you broke back into Matthew's apartment?"

"Yes."

"And Casey caused another… diversion?"  
Casey grinned. "Yep."

"And you got the address."

April sighed. "Yes."

"And _then_, instead of coming back here and telling me, _you went into Keagan's house and took a tour of his collection?_" Donatello's voice rose with incredulity. "You talked to Keagan, and his assistant? You asked him questions about his clinic and enclosures? April, what were you _thinking?_"

"I was _thinking_ that I might be able to find out where the guys were being held. I was _thinking_ that knowing some of the layout of the house would be helpful when you go to break in to get them out. I was _thinking_ I didn't want to send you off on a wild-goose-chase which would end in disappointment!" April's tone matched Don's. He glared at her from behind the purple bandana, and she glared right back.

Donatello shook his head. "April…"

"Donny, how many times do we have to go over this? They're like my family, too. You guys are like the brothers I never had. I did it, and I'd do it again, and I'm _not_ sorry."

"April…"

"What?!"

Donatello gave her a sheepish, lopsided grin. "Thanks."

April's face softened, and she smiled. "Anytime, Don. Anytime."

"Ok, so when do we start bustin' heads?" Casey asked, crossing his arms over his chest. This emotional "family" stuff was all well and good, but he was ready for some action.

"Not yet, Casey. I'll need to gather some equipment, and we need a plan. April, describe to me exactly what you saw inside that house."

April spent the next hour going over everything she could remember about Keagan's house. Casey soon grew bored and found himself a comfortable seat on the couch, in front of a hockey game on the television.

"You say the girl just disappeared? And there weren't any other doors visible in the hall?"

"Yeah. It was really weird, Don. It was like she just… vanished."

"What was her name again?"

"Josephine. Josephine Kohler."

Donatello's fingers flew over the keyboard. "Kohler… Here it is. She's a herpetology student. Second year. Double majoring in Biology… and genetics." Donatello felt himself go cold. "What kind of 'research' could Keagan be doing?"

"I don't know, Don, but she acted pretty nervous. And Don… She was carrying a… a muzzle."

Donatello flinched. "Oh shell."

"Don, it means the guys are alive. And Keagan's face had a pretty impressive bruise. They're fighting back."

Donatello took a deep breath. "Well, if the girl knows she's doing something unethical, she might have been worried about being seen there."

"She sure didn't want to talk about what research she was doing."

Donatello scowled.

"Don, what are you thinking?"

"Well, this girl has to leave the premises sometime, right?"

"I guess so…"

"April, if we can talk to her, we might be able to find out more. I can't risk going in there blindly. If we don't find them, Keagan could get nervous, and move them or…" Donatello trailed off.

April reached over and touched his hand.

"Don, they're going to be fine."

"I screwed up once, April. I can't chance it again. I've got to be sure, got to find out what's going on. We've got to get a hold of that girl."

"Well, we can stake the place out, and catch her leaving, or coming in for work."

"That might take too long."

"What do you suggest?"

"Let me find out where she lives. Maybe I can… persuade her that she needs to come home and take care of something in person. When she gets there, I'll be waiting for her."

"Don, exposing yourself to her might be dangerous! Why not let me talk to her?"

"She's already seen the guys," said Don.

"True. But Don, are you sure about this?

"I'm sure, April. If the guys are there, we're going to get them out."


	21. Chapter 21 Isolation

**A/N: Raph's temper starts to cause some problems for him in this chapter. :(**

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_Chapter 21 -Isolation-  
~~~_

_Aw, shell, I'm so bored! I wish Raphy was here so I at least had somebody to talk to. On second thought, he looked mad as shell when I saw him last…Maybe it's better if he has some time to cool down._ Michelangelo rocked back on his heels, staring at the door. The enclosure he'd been put in this time was even smaller than the last. It was designed, Keagan had told him, as a holding place for large reptiles, like crocodiles, while their main habitat was being cleaned.

_I just hope nobody decides to clean the croc tank while I'm in here._ he thought with a shiver. Immediately he wished he hadn't thought of it. he looked around, wondering if the peat was thick enough to hide a basking crocodile.

_Get a hold of yourself, Dude. Crocs like water, not this dirt stuff. An' Keagan doesn't want us damaged, so he's not gonna sic a croc on me. I just gotta hang in there until Donny comes. I hope he hurries up._

"Eeep!" Michelangelo's eyes widened as the door from the hall opened. He backed away, pressing against the back of the cage with his shell, and crouched, ready to defend himself. When he saw Josephine walk in, he relaxed marginally.

"Hi, Jo," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. "What's up?"

"Are you ok, Mikey?" she asked, coming over and unlocking the door to the enclosure. She stepped inside, leaving the door open behind her.

"Yeah. What about Raph?"

"He's fine. Justin let me take off the restraints, and I've wrapped his arm."

"Wow, Raph let you wrap up his wrist? _Dude_, what'd you do to him?"

Josephine laughed. "Come on. Justin says you can go back with him."

"You mean, them guys are gonna come and take me back to Raph?" Michelangelo looked nervously toward the door. "I think the blond one's kinda mad at me, 'cause I kicked him pretty hard…"

"No, Mikey, you're going to come with me. We'll walk down to where Raph is. But you've got to promise not to try and run off, ok? If you do, Keagan won't let me help you guys anymore, and he'll probably put your brothers in those harnesses permanently."

_But if I don't try and escape while I've got the chance, Raph'll pound my shell._

"There's one other thing, Mikey…" Josephine avoided his eyes. "I… I have to put the cuffs back on."

"What? No way!" Michelangelo backed away.

"Mikey, please, it's just until we get back to the other enclosure. Keagan thinks it'll make you easier to handle. It's either that, or you stay here, and when he wants to move you again, he'll use a sedative. He's got to believe I've got you under control." She looked at him, her eyes pleading. "Mikey, I'm trying to help you, but you've got to play along until I can figure out a way to get you out of here."

_Am I playing along, or are you playing us? This could be a trick… What if she really is working for Keagan, and she's just pretendin' to try and help us so we'll listen to her?_

"Mikey, please," Josephine said quietly. "I… I don't want him drugging you."

_Oh man, cuffs or needles… What choice does a guy have?_

Michelangelo stepped forward. Swallowing hard, he held out his hands. "All right, Dudette," he said.

Josephine nodded, and pulled the leather cuffs out of the duffle she was carrying. Michelangelo shuddered as she wrapped the strap around his wrist. Josephine's hands were shaking. She pulled the strap snug, but not tightly, and threaded the chain around his shell, attaching the cuffs to the chain. Michelangelo found he could move much more freely than when Keagan and his goons had fastened the same harness onto him. He glanced at Josephine, his eye-ridges rising.

"Is that ok?" she asked softly, avoiding his eyes. "It has to look secure."

"It's ok, Dudette," said Mikey giving her a strained smile.

"Are you almost ready to move him, Josephine?" Justin Keagan strode into the room. Michelangelo jumped back with a growl. Josephine caught his arm, and shot him a warning glance.

"He's ready, Mr. Keagan."

Keagan looked at them assessing. Michelangelo returned his gaze with an icy blue glare.

"Are you sure that harness is tightened properly?"

"I'm sure." Josephine met the man's gaze steadily.

"I should check it…" he started forward, and Michelangelo tensed, another growl escaping him.

"Justin, it's fine. Do you want to move him without the drugs or not?"

He hesitated, his eyes flickering to Michelangelo, who stood crouched, ready to fight despite the restraints. "All right. But if he attempts to escape again, I'll hold you personally responsible."

"He won't."

Justin ignored her. He looked at Michelangelo. "And I'll use whatever means necessary to bring him back."

"Bring it on, Dude," Michelangelo's glare intensified. Josephine took his arm firmly. He twisted, jerking away, but when he met her eyes, she frowned warningly.

"Mikey. Needles," she said so softly he barely heard it. He stared into her brown eyes, frowning. She met his gaze steadily. Mikey let his shoulders slump.

"All right, Dudette," he said softly. "But keep _him_ away from me." He glared at Keagan. Justin stepped back, his eyebrows rising, and let Josephine lead the reluctant turtle past him and out of the cage. He followed them, staying back a few steps.

Josephine led Mikey back out, through a small maze of rooms and enclosures, to the large cage which housed his brother.

***

_Shell, my arm hurts. Guess I shoulda let her give me a shot of painkiller, after all_. Raphael shivered. _But I ain't lettin' nobody stick me wit' any needles what ain't Donny-approved_. _It's bad enough I let her wrap my arm up. Don'll have my shell if she did it wrong._ He turned his arm experimentally. The splint did seem to support the bones. It felt better than it had before it was wrapped. _I hope we ain't making da biggest mistake o' our lives, trustin' dis girl. She did tell us about Leo, though, and she took that damned muzzle offa me. _Raph unconsciously rubbed his hand over his face where the muzzle had been.

_She didn't hafta do that. Keagan sure didn't seem happy about it… o' course he mighta been actin'. She might be a double-agent, workin' fer him and pretendin' to help us. Hey, what's dat? If dat's Keagan comin' in here again… _

Raphael watched as Josephine led a defeated-looking Michelangelo into the room. His younger brother's head was bowed, and he looked so helpless, being led around…

_Like some kinda animal. What the shell did Keagan do ta him?_ Raph scrambled to his feet, ignoring the pain in his freshly-splinted hand.

_I'm sicka dis. She's got Mikey chained up again, an' leadin' him around like a pet on a string. She ain't helpin' us. She's just Keagan's stooge, gettin' us ta do what he wants so he don't have ta stuff us full o' drugs and spoil his "specimens". She _said_ she wants ta help us, but she sure don't look like she's helpin' Mikey right now!_.

"Keagan! You let him outta dat t'ing!" he roared.

Justin hesitated at the door. He held his hand up to stop Josephine and Michelangelo. "He seems agitated," he said. "Perhaps this isn't such a good idea."

"No, Justin, it's fine. He'll calm down when Michelangelo is back with him. They're bonded."

"Open dis cage, Keagan. Let my brother _go._" Raphael's hands were clenched into fists.

"Let me talk to him, Justin. I'm sure I can calm him down," pleaded Josephine.

"I don't think opening the enclosure is a good idea right now," said Keagan. "I may need to administer a sedative…"

"No! I'm sure that won't be necessary. Raphael! You need to calm down." Josephine turned to the enclosure. She put her hand on the glass. Raphael jerked back, shooting her a disgusted look.

_Whatdaya t'ink I look like, an animal in a zoo?_

"Raphael, please. Calm down."

_Not gonna happen. Not while you've got Mikey all chained up like dat._

"Let him go!" he snarled.

"Raphael, if you'll just calm down and back away from the door, I can bring Mikey in, and take this off. Please."

"I'm not lettin' you leave unless you take dat t'ing offa him," growled Raphael.

"Josephine, I really feel this isn't going to work. He's far too violent. We're going to have to return Michelangelo to his enclosure for now, and give this one more time to calm down. Maybe housing them together isn't a good idea…"

_What? you t'ink yer takin' Mikey away again? No way! _

Raphael flung himself at the door, slamming against it with his weight. "Keagan!" he roared. "You let my bro outta dat t'ing _right now_, you hear me?"

Justin backed rapidly away from the door.

"No, Josephine, now bring the smaller one away before he injures himself."

"Wait, Justin…"

"No! I'm not leavin' Raph!" yelled Michelangelo. He spun around, crouching to face Keagan. "I'm stayin' here. You can put me in the cage, I don't care, but I'm not leavin' my brother!"

"Mikey, calm down. Justin, what if we put him in with Leonardo?" asked Josephine, grabbing Michelangelo's arm. "I can talk to Raphael, and calm him down, but they would all be happier housed together."

_Bang!_ Raphael bounced off the door again. "Keagan! Let… _bang_… my… _bang_… brother… _bang_… go!"

"Josephine, get Michelangelo out of here. _Now_. I'll stay with this one."

"Mikey, come on," said Josephine. She grabbed his arm, and dragged him toward the door.

"But Raph…"

"It'll be fine, don't worry. I'll talk to him. Just come on." Michelangelo let her lead him out.

_Where the shell are they goin? Hey, I'm yellin' at you, here. What's Keagan doin'? Oh shell, a gun! _ Raphael backed quickly away from the door, snarling, as Keagan approached the door. _If he opens the door, maybe I can kick it outta his hand 'fore he has a chance to use it… _ he crouched, preparing himself.

Keagan touched something near the door on the outside of the cage. A small panel opened near the door, and he pushed the snub nose of the pistol through the opening.

_Oh shell._

Raphael tried running, dodging, in desperation, but there was a small _pop_, and he felt a sharp pain sting the back of his arm. He snarled, and slapped at the dart sticking into him. The room whirled, and the edges of his vision began to blur. Another _pop_, and another sting. Raph swatted at it, but his limbs felt heavy, uncoordinated.

He sank into the peat, and the world went dark.

***

"Jo, where're ya taking me?"

Josephine glanced at Michelangelo. "To your brother."

"What? Won't Keagan get mad? He told ya to put me back in the other cage."

"I don't care. I'm not putting you back by yourself. Leonardo will be glad to see you. Would you rather be by yourself again?"

"No. But won't Keagan just make you put me back?"

"Do you think Leo would let me move you again?" Josephine gave a mischievous smile.

"No. But Dudette, I don't want my bro's getting' hurt 'cause o' me. Maybe we shouldn't do this."

"What? But Mikey…"

"I wanna see Leo, too, Jo. But I don't want him gettin' hurt like Raph. What's Keagan gonna do to Raph now? Leo's not as hot-headed as Raph, but if he thought Keagan was gonna take me away from him, he'll fight just as hard."

Josephine stopped. "Mikey, what do you want to do?"

Michelangelo swallowed hard. "You'd better put me back in isolation, Dudette. I appreciate it, I really do, and I… I want to see Leo so bad it hurts. I mean, he's been missin' for so long…" He stopped, swallowing hard and blinking. "But I can't risk it, ya know? I can't risk my bros gettin' hurt 'cause o' me."

"Ok." Josephine said quietly. "It's this way." She turned, and led Mikey through the double doors, back to the isolated enclosure he'd come from. Josephine opened the cage, and Michelangelo took a deep breath, and stepped inside.

He flinched when the door _clicked_ closed behind them. Josephine touched his arm, and he gave her a shaky smile.

"It's gonna be ok, Mikey," she said softly. She quickly removed the cuffs and chain. Michelangelo stretched his arms, relieved to be free of the restraints.

"Go," he said. "Help Raph."

"Ok. I'll come back as quick as I can."

"I'll be right here, Dudette."


	22. Chapter 22 Aunt Edna

**A/N: This chap would've been funnier, but I just couldn't get Don into that dress. *sigh* **

**_Don:_ *hiding under the bed* Is it safe to come out yet? **

**_Mikell:_ Yeah, Don, April said she'd do it. You can come out. *grumbles***

**_Don:_ Phew! Safe at last.**

**_Mikell:_ Don't speak too soon, Donatello. ;)  
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**Reviews are loved, as always.  
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_Chapter 22 -Aunt Edna-  
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April winked at Donatello. She pinched her nose before speaking into the phone.

"Yes, this is Edna Kohler. I've been told my niece Josephine has been staying with this Mr. Keagan, some kind of school project? Yes, well, I've never approved of this fascination Josephine seems to have with those _slimy reptiles_, but since she's paying her _own_ way through college, I can hardly veto her choices." April added an indignant sniff.

"I'm afraid Miss Kohler is quite busy with her work, Mrs. Kohler, but I'll be sure to let her know you called." Delilah said politely.

"Now wait a minute, young lady," snapped April in the nasal voice. "I want to talk to my niece _right now._ Do you think I would go to all the trouble of finding my niece and calling her at her work if I just wanted to chat about the weather?"

"I'm afraid Miss Kohler isn't available at the moment…"

"Not available?" April screeched. "Not available to talk to her aunt who's _dying_? If you don't put my niece on _this moment, _I'll be calling my lawyer! What kind of place is this Keagan running, that denies an old woman the right to talk to her niece? I _raised _that girl from a pup, I'll have you know. Nobody took better care of a child than I did, after her poor momma and my brother died in that _awful_ car wreck…"

"I'll see if Miss Kohler can come to the phone," Delilah broke in, sounding a bit harried. "Please hold."

April grinned, and gave Donatello a thumbs up. "It's a good thing you called her aunt, Don. The background research is really paying off. She's going to let me talk to her," whispered April. He was staring at her as if he'd never seen her before.

"What?"

He just shook his head. "Wow."

"Hello? Josephine?" April turned her attention back to the phone.

"Aunt… Edna? Is everything ok?"

"Ah, there you are my dear."

"Are you ok, Aunt Edna? You sound like you've got a cold."

"Yes, dear, yes. But I really _must_ see you. Can you meet me tonight for a meal? At your apartment?"

"Well… I'm working for Mr. Keagan, Aunt Edna. I live here on his estate for the summer. He doesn't like me to go out…"

"I really must _insist, _my dear." April put as much steel into her voice as she could manage while holding her nose.

"I'll have to ask Mr. Keagan…"

"Well, my goodness, is this man keeping you_ prisoner?_ He has to let you go out occasionally, now doesn't he?"

"Well…"

"Josephine, when I think of all I've done for you…"

"I'll try, Aunt Edna. I'll see you at seven, if I can come."

"You'd better be there, young lady!"

"I'll try. Goodbye Aunt Edna." _ Click._

"So, do you think it worked?" Don asked as April put the phone down.

"I'm sure she thought I was her aunt, but she was reluctant to come. She said she'd have to ask Keagan for permission to leave."

"He probably doesn't want her talking to anyone."

"That would make sense."

"Well, all we can do is try, right?"

"Don, if you were Keagan, and you were trying to keep a lid on what you've got locked up in that house, would you let her just go off to a meeting with her aunt?"

"…No. What do you have in mind, April?"

"I think Josephine might be in trouble, too, Don. I saw the look on her face this afternoon. She didn't like that muzzle any more than I did. And she was half-scared of Keagan's secretary. Maybe he's keeping _her_ prisoner there, too."

"Well if he is, there's no chance she'll show up tonight."

"If she does, she'll almost certainly be escorted."

"Shell."

"Yeah… But what if her aunt was _there_ when she shows up? Keagan wouldn't be suspicious if he saw her meeting with an old lady…"

"What are you thinking, April?"

"I'm thinking I'm going to need a wig."

***

_Four hours later…_

"Are ya sure ya don't want me to hold da door for ya, _ma'am_? Casey barely suppressed a giggle.

"Shut up, Casey Jones," snapped April. She adjusted her wig. "How do I look?"

Donatello smirked. "Like a woman in a wig and padded body suit. Where on earth did you get that outfit, anyway, April?"

"I have a friend who runs a costume shop," said April, making a face. "Do you want this to look convincing or not?"

"As long as nobody gets a close look at your face, the disguise should work ok," said Don skeptically.

"That's why I've got this hat," said April. She plopped a wide-brimmed straw hat onto her wig with a flourish. "What do you think?"

"Well, dey sure won't be lookin' at yer face!" chortled Casey. He dodged April's fist.

Donatello had to hold back a giggle. "I don't know, April. The flowers on the brim may be a bit much."

"It was all he had on such short notice," April grumbled. "Maybe _you_ should wear the wig, Don. You're shorter, you'd look more like someone's elderly aunt in this get-up than I do."

"No, no, it looks great, April, honest," said Donatello, holding up his hands in surrender. "I'm sure Keagan will never know you're not Josephine's Aunt Edna."

"Well, dis is da place," said Casey, pulling up in an alley next to an apartment building. "Ya want me to come wit' ya, Ape?"

"No, Casey. Keagan will expect Josephine's aunt to be alone," said April. "I'll go upstairs, and wait by her apartment as we agreed. Hopefully she'll show up."

"I'll wait on the roof, April. Hit the button on your shell-cell when you're alone. I've rigged it to buzz my cell. I'll come down the fire escape and you can let me in through the window."

"Sounds good."

"Hey, what'm I supposed ta do?" asked Casey, frowning.

"You, Casey Jones, will sit in the van and _don't go anywhere._" said April firmly.

"Aww, man…"

"Casey, the last thing we want right now is the neighborhood swarming with cops. Do you want to scare Keagan off? Or panic him?"

"…No."

"Then stay in the van. And stay down."

"Ok."

April leaned over, and gave Casey a kiss on the cheek. "Aww, April," he brushed his face with his fingers, blushing.

She climbed out of the van, followed by Donatello. He disappeared into the deeper shadows of the alley while April shuffled purposefully toward the building's entrance. To her relief, April found that the front door did not require a key. She walked right in, and punched the elevator button for Josephine's floor. Upstairs, she found a small bench in the hall, and sat down to wait.

She didn't have to wait long. The elevator _dinged_, and the dark-haired young woman stepped out, followed by a tall, muscular man. For an instant, April caught her breath, fearing Keagan had accompanied Josephine himself, and would recognize her.

"Hi Aunt Edna," said Josephine. April noticed the girl's face was slightly pale. She glanced at the man, but he looked uninterested.

_Not Keagan. Good. Must be a driver,_ thought April.

"Josephine," she cried, in her nasal 'Aunt-Edna' voice. "Who's your young man?"

"Oh! This is Dan, Aunt Edna. Mr. Keagan insisted he drive me." Josephine's smile looked strained.

"Well, I'd like to talk to you dear, _alone._ Let's go inside, and you can make me a nice cup of tea. I'm sure Mr. Dan won't mind waiting out here."

Josephine shot the man an uneasy look. He gave her a small nod.

"…Ok." She dug in her purse, searching for a key. She glanced up, meeting April's eyes before she could duck her head to hide her face behind the wide brim of the hat. Shock crossed Josephine's features.

_Oh, man, she saw me. She knows I'm not Edna,_ thought April. _I hope I can remember enough of the moves the guys have taught me to get past this Dan guy…_

"A cup of tea sounds nice, Aunt Edna," said Josephine, a little too loudly. "But I don't know if I have any cream."

April met the girl's eyes. "Oh, you know I don't need cream in my tea, Dear," she said. Josephine's eyebrows rose, but she turned the key in the lock.

"We won't be long, Dan," she said. The man nodded, and walked past them to sit down on the bench. He lounged back against the wall as if he didn't have a care in the world. but April noticed the slight bulge under his jacket. He was carrying a gun.

"Come in, Aunt Edna," said Josephine, letting April pass her and closing the door with a soft _click_. "We'll see about that tea…" she finished loudly enough for Dan to hear her in the hall. The two women moved away from the door. April turned to face Josephine, and took off her hat. The girl was standing tense, half-crouched, as if she were bracing for an attack.

"Who are you? What do you want?" she hissed.

"My name is April, and I… I think your employer may have kidnapped some friends of mine. I needed to talk to you, and this was the only way I could think of to do it," said April.

The girl's eyes widened. "You were at the house today. I saw you, taking the tour."

"Yes." April pushed the button on her shell-cell, keeping her hand hidden in the folds of the voluminous skirt she'd chosen for her disguise. She moved toward the window. "It's warm in here. I'm just going to open the window," she said casually.

The girl watched her with narrowed eyes. April unlatched the window, and opened it a few inches. She turned back to face Josephine.

"Do you work for Justin Keagan?" she asked.

"He… he hired me to help him with his… collection," said Josephine. "But I'm not supposed to talk about it to anyone."

"Josephine, my friends are… unusual. But they are sentient. They're not animals that can be kept in a cage. We've found evidence that he might be holding them. We'd like your help."

"We?"

"We. Myself, and…" A green hand clamped over Josephine's mouth, and an arm wrapped around her waist, keeping her still. Her brown eyes went wide, and she struggled, trying to kick her captor.

"Take it easy," said Donatello in her ear. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just didn't want you to scream. If I let you go, will you promise to be quiet?"

The girl managed to nod. Don slowly took his hand away, letting her loose. She whirled to face him, trembling and pale. "You scared the heck out of me!" she said, but her voice lacked the force of anger. She backed away. Don took the few steps necessary to put himself between her and the door. "Who are you?"

"Josephine, this is Donatello," said April.

"You don't act surprised to see a five-foot tall, talking turtle, so I have to assume you've met my family," he said grimly. "Now, are you going to help us, or not?"

"I… I want to," said Josephine. "Mikey told me his family would come for them." She sank down into a chair as if her legs wouldn't hold her any longer. "But how? The house is like a fortress. I think he only let me come out tonight because Aunt Edna…" she shot a look at April. "That was you, wasn't it?" April nodded, and Josephine managed a weak smile. "'Aunt Edna' threatened to call a lawyer if I didn't show up, and I told him she really would. The last thing he wants is a legal hassle."

"What exactly has been going on?" asked Donatello. "What does Keagan want with us?"

Josephine leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, and buried her face in her hands. "He… he wants to… collect you. He's got this guy, Hun, after you. He says you're an evolutionary miracle, a collector's dream. He wants a perfect specimen."

Don's eye ridges rose. "Doesn't he realize we're not just animals?"

"He doesn't seem to care." Josephine looked up. Tears streaked her cheeks. "He… he treats them like animals. He's keeping them in enclosures meant to house big snakes. He's been using restraints, and…"

"Muzzles?" April's voice was sharper than she'd intended. The girl nodded miserably.

"Did you put that thing on one of the guys? That… muzzle I saw you with today?" asked April. Her voice was dangerously quiet.

"No," said Josephine. I took it off Raphael after Justin had him restrained when he wouldn't let them treat his arm."

"Wait, what? What's wrong with Raph's arm?" asked Donatello, taking a step forward. Josephine shrank back in the chair, her eyes darting nervously from the glowering woman to the angry turtle.

"He… he broke his wrist."

"_What_? How?"

Josephine jumped up and backed away, putting the chair between herself and Donatello. He advanced on her, scowling.

"He tried to punch his way through a glass front. I tried to stop him! The enclosures are too solid. I wrapped his wrist. And Justin let me take the restraints off then, but he's back in the harness now…"

"Raph's in a _harness?"_ If looks could kill, Josephine would have disintegrated under Donatello's glare.

"When Justin saw he'd hurt his arm, he insisted on letting the vet look at it…" Don growled low in his throat, but April held up her hand, holding him back.

"What happened?" she asked softly.

Josephine swallowed hard, watching Donatello. "He wouldn't let them anywhere near him. I was with Leonardo…"

"Leo? Is he ok?"

"Yes." Something flickered in her eyes.

_There's something she's not telling us,_ thought April. She glanced at Don's already furious face, and decided to let it pass for the moment.

"He's fine, but Justin… Mr. Keagan, he got two of the men who work for Mr. Densin, that's his buyer's agent, to come and take Michelangelo away to a separate enclosure. They put the harness and muzzle on Raphael, to restrain him so the vet could fix his arm, but he was so violent, Justin came and got me to try and calm him down."

"And?" Donatello's eyes were stormy behind the purple mask.

"Justin let me treat Raphael's arm. He wasn't going to let Dr. Johansson look at it, not without a sedative. It's not a bad break. I splinted and wrapped it."

"While Raphael was… restrained?" asked Donatello, his voice tight with fury.

"No. He wouldn't let me. I took the restraints off first."

"So why is Raph restrained now?"

"When I went to bring Michelangelo back in, he got… upset, because I had to put the cuffs back on him to bring him back…"

"Wait a minute, you put _handcuffs_ on my brother?"

"No, they're sort of a padded leather cuff. There's a chain that goes around his shell, and the cuffs attach to the chain. It keeps him from lifting his arms," explained Josephine, motioning with her hands to show what she meant.

Donatello took a deep breath. "So you put this… harness… on Mikey, and brought him back to Raph, and Raph…"

"Went postal." Josephine's eyes filled with tears. "Justin shot him with a tranquilizer dart. When I got back, he'd already put the restraints back on, and the muzzle. Raphael was furious when he woke up, but there was nothing I could do. Justin put a padlock on the cuffs. He let me take the muzzle off so I could feed him, but Raphael wouldn't eat. I did talk Justin into leaving the muzzle off, but he won't let Raphael out of the cuffs. He says he's too hard to control."

Donatello swore, turning away from her.

"I'm sorry Donatello," she said softly. "I really was trying to help them."

"Will you help us get them out?"

Josephine swallowed hard. "I'll do what I can."

"We'll need to know the layout of the house. Do you have keys?"

"No. Keagan doesn't trust me with the keys to the house, only to the cages."

"Wait a minute," said April. She walked over and touched the girl's arm. Josephine flinched away, and looked up at her. "You said Keagan only let you leave tonight because I threatened him with a lawyer. Is he keeping _you_ prisoner there, too?"

The girl gave a scared little nod. April put her arm around her shoulders. After a moment's hesitation, Josephine leaned into the older woman's hug. Tears streaked down her face. "I'm scared, April. If I help you, and he finds out…"

"Josephine," Donatello walked over and put his hand on her shoulder. The girl flinched, but didn't pull away. "If you will help me get my brothers away from that madman, I vow, upon my honor, that we will help you."

Josephine sniffed, letting go of April, and turned to look at him. "You… you will?"

"Yes."

"…Ok. I'll help you," she said softly. "What do you need me to do?"


	23. Chapter 23 Breaking Glass

**A/N: Yeah, this one's a cliffhanger. These final chapters will make you understand why I always remind you of the happy ending to come. There are 30 chapters, plus an epilogue, so we have a little way to go. It's going to get worse before it gets better, but I promise _all_ the guys will get home safely in the end.  


* * *

**_Chapter 23 -Breaking Glass-  
~~~_

Leonardo sat straight up, moving from the spiritual plane and back into the real world like a diver breaking the surface. _Raphael._ He felt rage, fury, and fear, from his brother.

_Raph, what are they doing to you? _Leonardo closed his eyes, determined to reach his brother, but Raphael's anger drove him back like the heat from a furnace. _Raph? Raph, can you hear me?_ Nothing… only anger and terror, dark and desperate.

Finally Leonardo opened his eyes. He let out a sigh of frustration. Tears stung his eyes, and he blinked them back angrily. _Raph, I'm so sorry. I never meant to get you guys into this mess. _Leonardo got to his feet and began to pace, then stopped himself. He took a deep breath, working to get a handle on his raging emotions. When the door opened, Leo spun to face the intruder with fury written in every line of his stance.

"Leonardo." Justin Keagan stood, watching him.

"What do _you_ want?" Leo snarled. "And what have you done to my brother? What have you done to Raphael? I swear, if you've so much as put a scratch in his shell…"

Keagan's eyes went wide with shock. "How… how did you know?" he asked, coming closer almost involuntarily. He stopped away from the bars, well out of Leonardo's reach.

"I just know," said Leo coldly. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's fine," said Justin. "He had to be put back into the restraints. He wouldn't allow us to treat his injuries, and when we brought Michelangelo back to him, he became quite violent."

"What'd you do to Mikey?"

"Nothing! Josephine was simply returning him to Raphael's enclosure."

"Was he hurt?"

"No, merely restrained."

"_What_? You put those cuffs on _Mikey_? Why?" Leonardo's glare threatened to cut the man down where he stood.

"It was simply to keep him under control. Josephine was quite gentle, I assure you."

"_Josephine_ put the restraints on him?" Leonardo felt sick. _Oh, Mikey._

"He responds well to her. But because of Raphael's violent behavior, he had to be returned to an isolated enclosure. Raphael had to be restrained, so he doesn't injure himself further."

"So he's _restrained_ now?"

"Yes."

"Where's Josephine?"

"She had to go out. Personal business."

"You let her leave?" Leonardo's eyes narrowed.

"Why not? She's not a prisoner."

_Not like us. She's _human, _after all. _Leonardo swung away from the bars, turning his back on the man. "What do you want, Keagan?"

"I merely came to check up on you. Whether you believe it or not, I am concerned with your well-being."

"What about Raph's well-being? How long do you think he'll stand being tied up? How's he supposed to exercise?"

"When he calms down, we'll remove the restraints."

"He won't calm down until he knows Mikey's ok. Neither will I."

"You're both quite bonded with the smaller one, aren't you?"

Leonardo glared at Keagan's reference to Michelangelo. "He's our brother."

"Ah, so that's it. A sort of sibling bond. Yet your DNA profiles indicate you're not biologically related. Fascinating."

Leonardo closed his mouth with a snap, wishing he hadn't allowed himself to be drawn into conversation with the man.

"That still doesn't explain how you knew about Raphael. Josephine can't have told you, she left right after putting Michelangelo in his enclosure. She saw Raphael, but she didn't have time to come back here. So how did you know?"

Leonardo ignored him and sat down on the peat, crossing his legs and assuming his meditation position.

"Please don't ignore me, Leonardo. You know I'm in a position to make your life, and those of your brothers, less… pleasant."

Leo was on his feet in an instant. _"Keagan_," he shouted, whirling to face the man. "So help me, if you cause either of them to come to harm…"

"Now, now, let's not get excited. I'm hardly likely to actually _abuse_ such valuable specimens."

Leonardo glared at the man. Keagan held his eyes steadily, as if he were studying some particularly interesting subject. Leonardo turned away with a sigh.

"I was thinking of moving Michelangelo in here with you."

Leonardo turned, unable to keep the shock and hope out of his face. "You would do that?"

"I wanted to see your reaction first. I can't risk any of you harming each other."

"Keagan, they're my brothers. We _want_ to be together."

"You want Raphael as well?"

"Yes."

"It would be too crowded."

"No. We've always lived together. You can't leave him alone, tied up. He'll go nuts."

"Keeping you separated makes you easier to handle."

Leonardo didn't answer. It was perfectly true, and anyone wanting to take one of his brothers out of the enclosure again would first have to go through him.

"Of course, if you were to agree to be… more cooperative, I could allow Michelangelo to be moved in here with you."

"What about Raphael?"

Keagan shook his head sorrowfully. "Raphael is far too unpredictable. He'll need to be housed alone for now."

"Take those restraints _off_ him, Keagan." Raphael's fury was nothing compared to the scorching look Leonardo gave Keagan through the bars.

Keagan seemed to consider. "All right," he said finally. "Once he calms down, I'll have Josephine remove them."

"And bring him here."

"No."

"_Damn _you, Keagan!"

"Now, Leonardo, I'm only protecting you, and him."

"I don't need your protection. I need my brothers."

"Perhaps, in the future, when Raphael becomes more resigned..."

Leo turned away then. The idea of Raphael _accepting_ being kept in a cage for the amusement and curiosity of this man was too much for him.

"I'll have Michelangelo brought to you as soon as Josephine returns."

"What makes you think she'll come back?"

"She's quite as attached to Michelangelo as you are. I made it quite clear that she should return in a timely manner, if she wanted him to receive the best care."

Leonardo cursed under his breath, violently suppressing the urge to scream and rant and rage at the man like a… wild animal. He sat down in the peat, facing away from Keagan, and closed his eyes, forcing his anger down, and allowing himself to be carried away on the spiritual plane.

_Breathe in. Breathe out._

He barely heard the door click behind the man as he left.

***

Raphael drifted, not quite asleep. It was impossible to get comfortable, with his hands latched to his sides, and his ankles shackled together. His two options were, lie on his back with no pillow, giving him a stiff neck, or lie on his plastron and try not to breathe in too much peat dust.

_Joy_, thought Raph. _I'll never complain about the lumpy couch in the Lair again, or even Mikey climbin' inta bed wit' me in da middle of da night when he has a nightmare. Oh, shell, Mike, I really screwed up dis time. I'm sorry, little bro. My temper got da best a me._ He sighed again, letting his eyes close.

A sound outside made him sit straight up. _What da shell? That sounds like Mikey!_ He heard a distinct "eeep!" and raised voices.

"_Let go of me_!" That was definitely Mikey's voice.

_What the shell are they doin' ta ya, Mike? _Raphael scrambled to his feet and launched himself at the glass front of the cage. "_Mikey_!" he screamed, slamming into the glass. "Mikey!" He bounced off the glass, and fell backward, landing solidly onto his shell. He scrambled up again, awkwardly because of the shackles, and sprang at the glass, turning at the last second so his shell hit first with a solid _whump._ The glass shivered, but held.

Raphael bounced back, and coiled himself for another spring. He launched himself at the glass again. This time there was a loud _crack_. Raphael wasn't sure whether it was the glass or his shell, but he was beyond caring. Again he threw himself forward, colliding with the glass with tremendous force. _CRACK!_ A shiver ran through the small cell, and glass rained down in deadly dagger-like slivers.

Only Raphael's thick shell saved him. The blades of glass slid off his shell, shattering on the ground. A few embedded themselves in the backs of his arms and legs.

"Mikey!" Raphael screamed again, as something struck him solidly on the back of the head. The room was tilting, and the edges of his vision began to blur. The last thing Raphael saw before he lost consciousness was a dark-haired girl, rushing into the room. Her mouth formed his name, but Raphael could no longer hear what she was saying.

***

Michelangelo struggled wildly, hearing his brother scream his name. He jerked out of Keagan's grasp, and ran as well as the shackles binding his ankles would allow, which was surprisingly fast. "Jo! Josephine, wait! Whatsa matter with Raph?" he called after the girl.

_This was supposed to be simple,_ the thought tore through Josephine's mind as she raced to the large turtle's enclosure. _We were just moving him. Oh, Mikey, why'd you freak out like that? Justin barely touched your arm when you tripped, he wasn't trying to hurt you… Raphael must have thought he was being hurt and flipped. Oh! Oh, Raphael! Oh no._

She flew to the turtle's side, and knelt, ignoring the glass shards that stabbed through her jeans, digging into her skin. She began frantically brushing the glass away, off Raph's shell and away from him. She heard the door slam against the wall as Michelangelo staggered in.

"Stay back," she shouted, looking up into his wild blue eyes. "Mikey, stay back, you'll cut yourself!"

"_Raph! Raph!"_ Michelangelo screamed, lunging forward. Keagan, only a few steps behind Michelangelo, grabbed the turtle's arms and bodily hauled him back, away from the glass shards littering the floor.

"What happened? Help me, Josephine, he's too strong!"

"Raphael broke the enclosure," she shouted, tears streaming down her face. "Mikey, it's ok, he's breathing. We'll help him, just go with Justin, please. Let me help him!"

"I'm not leaving my brother!"

"Michelangelo, let me take you to Leonardo," said Justin. "I can't help Raphael with you in here." Michelangelo struggled to escape the man's grasp, his blue eyes fastened on his fallen brother.

"Mikey, go with Justin. I'll take care of Raph, I promise. Just go." Josephine met his blue eyes. "Please, Mikey. Let me help him."

Michelangelo continued to struggle, but Justin rocked backward, lifting him off his feet. "Come on, Josephine. You've got to help me with him."

"I can't leave Raphael!"

"We've got to get him contained, then we can help Raphael."

Josephine met the man's eyes. She took one more look at Raphael, confirming that his breathing was at least strong.

"All right." She jumped up, and rushed over, catching Michelangelo's arm. "I'm sorry, Mikey, but we have to do this. Please, just come with us. We'll take you to Leo, then I can come back and help Raphael. Please."

Michelangelo was beyond listening. He struggled wildly, calling out his brother's name, all the way down the hall. Josephine barely managed to open the door to the room where Leo's enclosure was. Justin wrestled the struggling turtle through the door, and Josephine opened the cage. Leonardo caught Michelangelo as Keagan half-threw him inside, and slammed the door behind him.

Leonardo watched, bewildered, as the man dashed from the room. Josephine shot him a sick look over her shoulder, and followed Justin at top speed.

"Mikey? Mikey, what happened?"

"Raph… Raph…" Michelangelo leaned into his brother, sobbing. "Leo, Raph…"

"What the shell did they do to Raphael? Mikey, what happened?"

"He… he… he broke it, Leo. Glass everywhere. Broke right through it. He… he… he was bleedin'…" Michelangelo's sobs choked him, and he couldn't go on. Leonardo wrapped his arms around his brother's shell, letting the younger turtle lean into him as if he would meld with his plastron. Leonardo reached down, catching Mikey's hand in his own. Michelangelo's startled yelp and sudden jerk back was an indication of how upset he really was. An instant later, he relaxed and let his older brother remove the cuffs from his wrists. Leonardo knelt down, gently unbuckling those around his ankles.

Leo held the leather cuffs in his hands, staring at them with rage. With a growl, he tore first one, then the other, completely in half, and repeated the action with the ankle-cuffs. He tossed them aside, and looked at his shaking little brother. Michelangelo's blue eyes were wide with shock, and his cheeks were still wet with tears. Leonardo held out his arms, and Mikey melted into them, clinging to his brother as if he would never let go.


	24. Chapter 24 The Rescue

**A/N: Another cliffhanger. Don't say I didn't warn you. Yeah, you know what? I'm just gonna say now- pretty much the rest of the fic will be a cliffhanger. Right up until the end. **

**Reviews are loved. Many thanks again, to the faithful reviewers, and also to my beta-reader Raphfreak. Be sure to check out her art contest!!!  
**

* * *

_Chapter 24 -The Rescue-  
~~~_

"Don't dis crate move any faster?" complained Casey.

"We can't afford to attract attention, Casey," explained Donatello patiently. "We've got to be careful." He pulled to the curb. "Are we clear on the plan?"

"You an' me go over da wall, and deal wit' any dogs an' guards an' stuff. You shut off the gate alarm an' let Ape in. You shut off da alarms in da house, and get in da window dis Josephine chick is leavin' open for ya. We find da guys, an' we bust 'em outta here."

"Wrong. You _stay outside_, Casey. April's coming in with me. We'll need you as backup. In case Keagan throws something at us we can't handle."

"What? Dis Keagan guy don't stand a chance."

"Casey, we don't know what we're getting into. We don't know what kind of defenses Keagan has, besides what Josephine was able to tell us about the basic house alarms. We _need_ backup."

"How come April gets to come in?"

"I might need April's help. In case…" Donatello swallowed hard. "In case one of them is hurt."

"…Ok, Don, whatever ya say." Casey slipped his hockey mask down over his face and hitched his bag up on his shoulder. "Let's go."

Donatello went over the wall so silently, the guard dog never woke up. Don crept up and gently inserted the needle full of sedative, emptying it into the dog. It snored softly, drifting into a deeper sleep. Donatello smiled. _So far, so good._

He made his way around to the main gate, running a sensor over the pillar. Finding the panel that operated both the gate and the alarm system, Donatello pried it open and snipped a short series of wires, disabling the alarms and the electronic lock. April pushed the gate open and slipped through.

"Are you ready, April?" asked Donatello. She nodded, pale in the moonlight, but determined.

"Let's go."

Together they moved toward the main house, Donatello silent on the perfectly-trimmed grass, and April moving like a shadow beside him. He remained tense and alert, painfully aware of her breathing and the rustle of her clothes. They reached the main house unseen, and worked their way around to the window Josephine had conveniently left open. Donatello used his hand-held sensor to check for alarms.

Satisfied that entering through the open window wouldn't set off any screeching warnings, he boosted April up, and followed himself with one graceful leap. Donatello crouched, looking. He pulled his bo from its holder on his back.

"The study, just like she said," whispered April. "The hall with the hidden door will be through that door, three doors down and to the left."

"Let's go."

The house was silent as they slipped into the dimly lit hall. They followed Josephine's instructions until they reached a long hallway. Donatello caught his breath.

The hall was lined with glass-fronted enclosures, showcasing every type of reptile he'd ever heard of, and some he hadn't. He let out a low whistle. Gesturing to April, he moved carefully down the hall. A sound, a low moan, caught April's attention.

_There it is again. What is that? It sounds… familiar._ April gestured to Donatello, but he was already half way down the hall. With a little sigh of frustration, April turned and moved down the hall, toward the sound. Outside the double doors, she paused. She glanced down the hall, but Donatello had disappeared through the hidden door.

_Good, he'll get Leo out of there, and I'll get Mikey and Raph. It's not exactly what we had planned, but it'll save time and we can get out of here that much faster._ She moved toward the double doors.

***

In his office, finishing up some late-night paperwork, Justin Keagan rubbed a hand over his tired eyes. Karen Johansson had rushed over to clean and stitch Raphael's wounds. Keagan had worried, for a while, that they would lose the turtle, but he proved far more resilient than Keagan had hoped.

_If he'd died, I never would have been able to control the other two,_ he thought. _The smaller one seemed on the brink of a breakdown. I wish Leonardo would have let us administer the sedative. The way he blocked Michelangelo with his own body, amazing! I've never seen that sort of protective behavior before in reptiles. _

_At least Josephine was able to calm them down enough to let her enter the cage. I was sure Leonardo would attack her. He shows amazing self-restraint. Not like the other two. Michelangelo is good for him, having him there seems to keep him calm._

He glanced at the monitor. Good. Leonardo and Michelangelo were sleeping. Leonardo was lying with his back to the door, that remarkable protective shell faced outward. Cuddled against his plastron was Michelangelo, his knees tucked up and his forehead pressed against the other turtle's chest, his cheek resting on Leonardo's bicep as if it were a pillow. Leonardo's other arm lay protectively across Michelangelo's shell. Justin half-expected to see Michelangelo's thumb tucked into his mouth like a fretful child's. He smiled at the thought.

_Anthropomorphizing them. It's easy to do, with their amazing abilities. It's just too bad about Raphael. I wish I knew what to do with him. He'll prove too costly to keep, if he keeps injuring himself like this. _Justin frowned, watching the monitor. Had something moved inside the enclosure? He rubbed a hand over his eyes again. He was seeing things. His worries over Raphael's well being, and the flicker of the screen in the dim room were causing him to see things that weren't there.

But no, there it was again. _Is Josephine up this time of night? I know she was worried about them, but I thought she went to bed hours ago. _

Justin stared at the screen, fascinated. A shape was moving, just outside the cage. It came closer, almost within view of the camera. He watched as it huddled near the door, watching the two sleeping creatures. Justin's hand was already creeping toward the tranquilizer pistol when the cage door swung open, and he saw Leonardo leap to his feet in a motion almost too fast to see. Michelangelo was sitting up, cowering back against the wall, looking confused.

Justin's eyes grew wide with shock as he watched Leonardo go from a defensive stance to flinging himself into the arms of the intruder in a welcoming embrace. He saw a flash of green and brown.

_Raphael? But he's injured! He can't be up and around this quickly… No, that one's smaller than Raphael. Larger than Michelangelo… The fourth turtle! I've been waiting for Hun to capture him, and here he is, within my grasp!_

Justin could hardly catch his breath. He sprinted down the hall, loading the tranq gun carefully. _I should call Dan, and Josephine. There's no time. I've got to get that turtle contained. Finally, my collection will be complete!_

***

April moved through the double doors, letting them slip closed behind her. She felt her way around the room, not daring to turn on a light. She felt something cold, hard and smooth under her palm, at about waist height.

_An exam table,_ she thought, exploring with her hands. _What's this? It feels like it hasn't been cleaned. Is this… blood?_ April withdrew her hand with a shudder. She didn't want to think about why there might be blood on the table. She backed away quickly, and found the wall. Feeling her way along, she came to another door. She pushed it open, and slipped through. The hallway was dimly lit by recessed lighting. April made her way carefully down the hall, peering into each room as she came to it.

The first room contained a very large, but apparently empty, enclosure with steel bars every few inches, and a thick layer of peat on the floor. Moving along, April came to a second room. She pushed the door open, and gasped as the light glinted off thousands of slivers of glass littering the floor.

_What happened in here?_ Near the center of the room, some of the pieces of glass were red, as if the window had been made of stained glass, almost all clear, with a patch of red in the middle, shattered now on the ground, broken beyond recognition.

_Red glass in a reptile enclosure? No, that doesn't make sense… Unless when the glass broke, someone got hurt. Someone got cut… Could that be…_ April felt tears sting her eyes. She knew, in that moment, that one of the turtles had been injured. _I've got to go and find Donny. We've got to get them out of here._

She heard the moan, closer now, and whirled around, searching, orienting on the sound. She hurried toward a third door, and rushed through without further thought. It was a small clinic. A hospital bed took up most of one corner, with its sides raised. April hurried over, holding her breath. Lying on his shell, with bandages covering both shoulders and wrapping around his neck, Raphael was mostly covered with a light blanket. An IV pole stood next to the bed, dripping precious fluids into the unconscious turtle's arm. April touched his arm, feeling his skin too cool under her fingers, but not icy-cold with shock.

She scowled when she saw straps, attaching his wrists to the side rails. It wasn't as if Raphael was in any shape to get up or move around. The straps were apparently a precaution. Another strap crossed his plastron, pinning him to the bed. Raphael stirred, and April touched his forehead.

"Raph? Can you hear me?"

His amber eyes flickered open, and tracked toward her face, but they lacked focus. Raph's mouth moved as if he would speak, but only another small moan came out. "Oh, Raph." April's eyes filled with tears. She stroked his cheek with her fingers.

"April?" Josephine's whisper made April jump.

"Josephine! You scared me," hissed April.

"I'm so glad you're here!" The girl rushed to April's side. "It's all my fault. I should have warned him we were moving Mikey…"

"Josephine, what happened?"

"Raphael broke the glass front out of the enclosure he was in. He was hurt…" she trailed off, tears streaking down her face as she looked at the still figure on the bed before them.

"We've got to get him out of here. Donatello can help him," said April.

"Donatello's here?"

"Yes. He's getting Leonardo. Where's Michelangelo?"

"He's with Leo."

"Go get them. I'll stay with Raphael. The others will have to carry him out."

"All right." Josephine turned and hurried away, her dark eyes wide in her pale face.

April turned back to Raphael, and stroked his hand. "You're going to be all right, Raph. The guys will get you out of here, I promise. Everything's going to be all right…"

***

Josephine ran down the hall. She skidded to a halt when she saw the hidden door already open. With trepidation, she slipped through. Justin was standing, his back to her, with a pistol trained on the turtles in the enclosure. Josephine's eyes went wide as she saw one, two…_three_ figures backed into a corner. Leonardo was standing in front of the other two as if he would shield them with his body.

Michelangelo was cowering behind him and… _Donatello_ was trying to push him aside to get at Justin. He had a long stick in his hand, and he looked furious.

"Justin, what are you _doing_?" Josephine rushed into the room. Justin half-turned and Leonardo lunged. Justin jumped back, slamming the cage door closed behind him.

"I'm capturing the fourth turtle," said Justin smugly. "I didn't even have to pay Hun to catch him for me; he came of his own accord."

"Open this door, Keagan," shouted Donatello. "Where's Raphael? Where's our brother?"

"I'm afraid he's _indisposed_ at the moment," said Justin, smiling. "How very kind of you to join your brothers so willingly in captivity."

"So help me, Keagan, if you don't let us out of here…" Justin ignored Donatello's furious ranting. Leonardo put his hand on Donatello's arm. Don shook it off, turning on his brother. There was an instant when Josephine thought they might fight, then Donatello threw his arms around Leonardo, clinging to him for all he was worth.

"I'm sorry, bro. I'm so sorry. I've really screwed up this time."

"No, Don, it's ok. As long as we're together, everything's going to be ok."

Josephine watched the scene before her with tears in her eyes. The brothers stood together, united, yet incomplete without the fourth turtle.

_Rapahel. April!_ She turned away.

"Congratulate me, Josephine. My collection is now complete." Justin smiled, content as a cat with cream.

"Congratulations," she said dully. "I'm going to check on Raphael."

"Why, is there something wrong?"

"No," she said hastily. "I just thought I'd see how he's doing. Make sure he's still sleeping comfortably."

"I'm sure he's fine. Don't you want to examine our newest specimen?"

"No. I'm tired. I'm going to bed," she said.

"Suit yourself." Keagan leaned back, resting casually against the wall. "I think I'll stay here and talk to them for a while," he said.

Josephine heard a snort of disgust from one of the turtles. _Leonardo, probably_. She walked quickly out the door without a backward glance, her heart leaden.

She hurried down the hall, back to the clinic where April was still standing next to Raph, brushing her hand over his head. She'd taken the straps off his wrists and unbuckled the one across his plastron. She whirled as Josephine came in.

"Josephine! Where's Donatello? Where are the guys? We don't have much time. We've got to get Raph out of here…"

"April, you've got to get out. Donatello… Justin caught him. He's locked him in with Leonardo and Michelangelo. You've got to get out of here, right now."

"Don… no…" April looked stricken. She clutched Raphael's hand. "I can't leave them!"

"You _have _to. I can't help them. Justin's right in the room. There's no way I can get them out tonight, and if he catches _you_ here, too, there's no telling what he'll do. Please, April, I can get you out if you come right now."

"What about Raphael?"

"Doctor Johansson says he's not badly hurt. He had some cuts, and a concussion where a piece of the ceiling came down on his head, but he's going to be ok. _I'll_ take care of him myself, April, I promise, but you've _got_ to get out of here, right now!"

The urgency in Josephine's tone finally got through to April. Feeling as if she were leaving a piece of her own heart behind, she let go of Raphael's hand, and allowed Josephine to lead her back out, through the maze of doors and hallways, and back to the study where she'd come in.

"Go. I'll do what I can to help them."

"Ok. Take care of Raph for me. Call me if you can."

"I will."

Brown eyes met green, and a silent promise was exchanged. _I'll be back._

Before she could think too much about what she was doing, April leapt lightly down from the window and ran to the front gate. She slipped out, and hurried down the street, back to the Battle Shell where Casey waited expectantly.

Josephine closed the window carefully, and returned to the clinic. With a sigh, she gently began to buckle the restraints back around Raph's wrists and over his chest. Her tears fell on his plastron as she pushed the last strap through its buckle.

"I'm sorry, Raphael," she whispered. "I'm so sorry."


	25. Chapter 25 Dr Johansson

_Chapter 25 -Dr. Johansson-  
~~~_

Donatello's pacing was driving Leonardo crazy. He opened his eyes, giving up his attempts at meditation, and sighed.

"Don, relax."

"How can I relax, Leo? We're locked in a cage _again_, and it's my fault."

"Donatello, it's not your fault. _I'm _the shell-head that let himself get captured first. You wouldn't have had to rescue me if I hadn't run off that night."

"What happened, Leo? How did Keagan get you?"

Leonardo sighed. He didn't want to re-live that humiliating defeat _again_, but telling the story would pass the time.

"It was Hun," he said with a sigh.

***

_Leonardo raced across the rooftops, letting the exercise burn the fury from his chest, and the wind in his face blow away the ashes of resentment left behind. His shoulders began to relax as he ran, and the ache of tension to release. _

_Raph's annoying, but maybe I was a little harsh about the music. Splinter says we all relax in our own way. I meditate. Raph cranks the tunes. Mikey would say I was harshing his groove. _

_A smile passed over Leonardo's face at the thought of his younger brother's colorful vocabulary. _

_Even when he's not right here with me, Mikey can always make me smile, he thought._

_It was about then that Leonardo heard the scream. Stopping, he crouched, orienting on the sound. Another scream, and a hoarse shout. Leo dashed across the rooftops, coming to a stop and kneeling, peering over the ledge at the scene in the alley below. _

_Just another night in the city, thought Leo. Two Purple Dragons had cornered a pair of young women in an isolated alley. One of the men lunged, and the girl screamed again, her voice high with fear. Leonardo winced._

_How do they hit those notes? he wondered. Mikey's the only other person I know who can scream like that. _

_He dropped down the fire escape as lightly as the night itself, landing in the alley without a sound. The gang members never heard his approach. He never even unsheathed his katanas. Two quick punches, and the gang members were unconscious at his feet. He was about to slip back into the shadows when he heard a snicker. Turning, Leonardo stared. At least ten more Purple Dragons had slipped into the alley. Leonardo pulled his katanas, and the gang members backed up, grinning. Leonardo heard a distinct _pop_, and felt a sting on his shoulder. Glancing at the young women, he saw that they were no longer cowering, terrified against the fence. They stood, smirking at him, and one… One was holding a small pistol in her hand. _

_Leo brushed at the tiny cylinder in his arm, dislodging it. he felt light-headed, slightly dizzy. _

_I should call for back-up… but I need my hands for the katanas… _

_One of the gang members lunged forward, throwing a handful of powder into Leo's face. Leo screamed, dropping his swords and rubbing at his eyes. They burned and tears streamed down his face. He reached down, instinctively trying to retrieve his swords, but there was derisive laughter, and a clang as someone kicked his katana away. Another _pop_, and another sting. This time Leo couldn't reach the dart. Leonardo turned, forcing his uncoordinated muscles to function as he attempted to run._

_He made about three steps before crashing into what felt like a solid wall. Leo found himself lying on his shell, his head brushing the chain-link of the fence. He heard a familiar, cold burst of laughter, and turned his sightless eyes toward the source. He knew, in his last moments of consciousness, who had him. Hun._

***

"You were _blinded_?" Donatello was staring at his older brother, worry and fury warring for supremacy on his face. Worry won out, just. Don pulled a penlight from his belt, and shone it into Leo's eyes. Leo turned his face away, annoyed.

"_Don_, I'm fine. That Johansson woman, she put patches over my eyes for a while, and then she used some kind of drops. My vision came back. I haven't had any trouble since."

"No blurring, no double vision? Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. I'm fine."

"At least he's provided you with medical care," grumbled Donatello, slipping the light back into his belt.

"It's going to be ok, Don. April and Splinter will get us out of here."

"If April didn't get caught last night, too."

"What? April was here?"

"Yes. We got separated. I noticed she was gone when I got into the room, but I was so happy to see you guys, I figured I'd get you out of the cage, and we'd go and find her. I shouldn't have let her wander off…"

"Don, if she had been in here with you, she'd have been caught, too. Maybe she got out."

"I hope so. Josephine saw me in here, right? So she might have helped April escape."

"Josephine knew about this?"

"Yes. April called, and pretended to be her aunt. She got Josephine to come to her apartment, where we talked to her. She agreed to help us get you out. Keagan's holding her here against her will as well."

"See, Leo, I told you Jo's all right," said Michelangelo, beaming.

"I don't know, Mikey," said Leonardo. "How did Keagan know to come in when he did? Don had the cage open, we were almost out, when Keagan came running in here. And Josephine was right behind him…"

"I don't know, Leo," Don shook his head wearily. "I might have triggered an alarm…"

"I don't think so, Don. We have to be more careful from now on. Josephine might not be our friend, after all."

"Leo, I'm tellin' ya, she's on our side."

"Mikey, we can't know that. We can't take a chance."

"It doesn't make any difference. We're stuck in here." Donatello stood up and walked over to the cage door. He looked longingly at his duffle, which Keagan had left in the corner of the room. "If I could reach my bag…"

"Do ya have a blow-torch in there, Donny? Or bolt cutters or something?"

Donatello sighed. "No, Mikey. Just some basic equipment. Sensors and things. Some medical supplies. I didn't know if anyone was hurt." He turned to face his brothers, pain etched in his features. "I didn't know about Raph."

"Raph's going to be ok, Donatello. Like you said, at least he's providing us with medical care."

"I can't believe he busted that glass," said Michelangelo, shaking his head as if he could throw out the memory of his brother lying so still, bleeding, under all that broken glass.

They all froze as the hallway door slid open. The inner door opened, and Josephine slipped into the room. She looked rumpled and pale, as if she'd slept in her clothes, or hadn't slept at all. Her hair was pulled loosely back into a ponytail. She approached the cage hesitantly.

"Good morning, guys." her voice was soft. "Donatello, are you ok?"

She received only glares from two dark sets of eyes. A blue pair looked uncertain.

"Jo, you didn't… tell Keagan Donny was here, did you?" asked Michelangelo, coming to stand next to the bars. "I mean, you were tryin' to help us, right? You didn't rat us out, did you?"

"What? No! No, of course not. I don't know why Justin came in here." Josephine looked up, her eyes wide with grief and anger. "I can't believe you thought I would do something like that. I risked my own safety to sneak April out."

"So April got away?" Donatello broke the silence first, coming to the bars. He watched Josephine with an intense gaze.

"Yes. She didn't want to leave Raphael, but there was no way to get him out of here. He's still sedated."

"Why?" Donatello's eyes narrowed.

"Justin says it's because he's violent. He wants to keep him calm until his injuries have a chance to heal."

"He can't keep him sedated that long! He'll go into a hibernation. Josephine, you've got to get me out of here. I've got to take care of him."

"I… I can't. Justin sent me to get you, Donatello. He wants Doctor Johansson to examine you."

"What? No!" Leonardo leapt up and lunged at the bars. "No! You're not separating us again!"

"Leonardo, calm down!" Don put his hand on his brother's plastron. "Listen. If I cooperate, they might let me see Raphael."

"And they might take you away and stick you in a cage someplace else, away from us!" Michelangelo caught Don's arm, clutching fearfully. "Donny, don't let 'em take you away!"

"Mike, it's ok. Really. Leo, I'll be fine. Let me do this. I've got to get Keagan to let me see Raph."

Leonardo watched Don with uncertainty in his eyes. "I can't lose you again, bro," he whispered.

Donatello grasped his wrist. "I'll be back, Leo. Don't worry about me."

"…Ok."

Don gave his brother's arm a squeeze, and patted Michelangelo's shoulder, before turning to the door. "Ok, Josephine. I'm ready."

Josephine unlocked the door, and Don stepped out. She closed the door behind him, avoiding the glares of the two turtles left inside. "He agreed I don't have to use the restraints if you'll agree to come quietly, but he'll never let you keep your weapon," she said softly. Donatello bristled but nodded.

"If I give my stuff to you, will you keep it safe for me?" he asked. Josephine swallowed hard, and nodded.

Donatello carefully removed his bo staff from its holster. Josephine took an involuntary step back, but he held it out to her with a small smile. "Here. It's ok, it doesn't bite," he said. His heart twisted, seeing his precious bo in the girl's hands. She laid it aside, near his duffle bag.

"I'll put these away while you're with Doctor Johansson," she said softly. "I can keep them in my room for you."

"Ok. Let's go."

Donatello let Josephine lead him from the room. She held his arm lightly, almost timidly, as they walked together down the hall.

"Donatello?"

"Yes?"

"You know I didn't betray you, don't you? I would never have done that."

"I hope not, Josephine." His dark gaze met hers. She returned his look without flinching.

"I'm trying to help you. All of you."

"Help me, Josephine. Talk to Keagan. We've got to get him to let me see Raphael. Using sedatives for an extended time will _kill_ him. None of us are used to drugs. We don't exactly have access to a pharmacy."

"I'll try," said Josephine. "And I'll talk to Doctor Johansson about the drugs. If you'll talk to her, Donatello, it will make things simpler."

"She doesn't know we can talk?"

"No. Justin put a muzzle on Leonardo when she came to take the samples."

"_What?_ What kind of samples?"

Josephine looked nervously at him. Donatello deliberately loosened the muscles in his shoulders, and unclenched his hands.

"I… I don't know," said Josephine. "Justin was pretty excited about it, but he wouldn't tell me what they were doing."

They paused outside a set of double doors. "You don't think he'll try muzzling _me_, do you?" asked Donatello, his expression bleak. It was one thing to allow oneself to be led off to a veterinarian, it was quite another to walk into the clinic.

"I won't let him, Donatello," said Josephine firmly. "If he tries, I'll speak up. I'll tell Doctor Johansson…"

"Tell Doctor Johansson what, Josephine?" The pair whirled to face a slender blond woman. She had kind brown eyes, and she was smiling.

"Doctor Johansson!" Josephine stared, open-mouthed. "I, uh… This is Donatello."

"Well, this is the fourth turtle. Why on earth is he wearing a mask?" Doctor Johansson sounded amused. "Were you playing dress-up?"

"Our father gave us the masks," said Donatello quietly. He watched the woman's eyes stretch wide with shock. She swayed, her mouth gaping open. Josephine caught her arm as her knees collapsed under her. She didn't actually faint, but she put her head down, between her knees and drew several deep breaths.

Finally the woman got shakily to her feet. She blinked, swallowing hard, and took another deep breath. She held out her hand to Donatello. He could see her struggle to hold on to her composure in her eyes.

"Hello, Donatello," she said. "My name is Karen Johansson. It's nice to meet you."


	26. Chapter 26 Failure

**A/N: Poor April... but Splinter had to be told. Heh Poor Casey. He's so lost when dealing with the ninja Master.**

**

* * *

**_Chapter 26 -Failure-  
~~~_

April stopped outside the door leading to the turtles' Lair. Casey put his arm around her shoulders.

"We've got to tell him, Babe."

"I should have phoned."

"You know Splinta' don't know how ta use dem shell-cells."

"He knows how to answer them, Casey."

"He hung up on ya last time."

"He hit the wrong button, that's all."

"April…"

"I know. I've got to tell him."

"Ya want me ta talk ta him?"

"No, Casey, I have to do this myself." She lifted her hand to punch in the series of numbers, but the door slid open before she could touch the keypad. The old rat stood, leaning on his cane, watching them with unreadable black eyes.

"Splinter!" April looked into the familiar, furred face, and a sob caught in her throat, stopping the story from pouring out of her.

"Please, come inside. Tell me what has become of my sons."

Splinter's voice was so calm, so resigned, so accepting, April nearly collapsed. She took a step forward, and swayed. Before she could lose her balance, Splinter's paw was in her hand, and he led her into the Lair, over to the couch, and maneuvered her onto the cushions.

"Perhaps Mr. Jones, you would be so kind as to heat a pot of water for tea," he said quietly. "I believe Miss O'Neil and I would like a cup. You are welcome to join us."

"Nah, I'll just see if der's any beer in da fridge," replied Casey, shifting awkwardly like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He went off to the kitchen. Splinter winced as he heard cups and his ancient teapot rattle.

He turned his attention to the shaking woman on his couch. April had covered her face with her hands. He could hear her sniffing, trying to control the sobs. He touched her knee, gently. She leaned instinctively toward the contact, taking comfort in his touch. Splinter waited.

"I… I'm so sorry," April managed finally. "Splinter… we failed. Donatello was captured."

"Was he injured?"

"I don't… think so. But R…R…Raphael…" Fresh tears traced down April's cheeks.

"What about Raphael, April?" Splinter's voice was sharper than he'd intended. He took a deep, steadying breath. "April," he tried again. "What has happened to Raphael?"

"He… he's hurt. He was… on a bed. Restrained. Unconscious. I was taking the straps off when Josephine came in. She said Keagan had captured Donatello, and I had to leave. I… I'm sorry, Splinter. I couldn't get him out."

"You did the right thing, April. Had you been captured as well, we would not have another opportunity to rescue my sons." April's sobs slowed.

Casey's shuffling steps came into the room. "Uh, Splinter? I got the water heated up ok, but I dunno how to make dat tea stuff…"

"That's all right, Mr. Jones. I will prepare the tea," said Splinter. He touched April's knee again before standing up. She sniffed, and gave him a grateful look.

Splinter prepared two cups of tea, his nose wrinkling slightly as he caught the scent of the mild alcohol Casey preferred. He carried a cup of steaming tea out to April, who clutched it in her hands as if it were a lifeline.

"Tell me, April, do you trust this… Josephine?"

"Yes, Splinter. Why do you ask?"

"We must know our friends, April, as well as our enemies, if we are to try again."

"We'll go back, Master Splinta'. We'll get dem outta der." Casey Jones sounded determined.

Splinter gave the man a smile. _My sons' choice of friends may not be conventional, but I believe they have chosen well_, he thought.

"We will indeed, Mr. Jones. But we will need a plan."

"Splinter, do you mean, you're coming with us?" April looked shocked. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I mean, Keagan seems determined to collect anything he sees as a specimen…"

"My sons are in danger," said Splinter.

"All right," said April, cutting off Casey's squawk of protest.

"Ape, Donny'll skin us both alive if anything happens to him," said Casey. He quailed under the old rat's gaze. He swallowed hard. "O' course, no one's suggestin' dat he _shouldn't_ come or not'in'…"

"I will accompany you. Now, tell me what happened."

April took a breath. She described the entry into the grounds, and how she and Donatello slipped into the house. Her voice shook as she recounted finding Raphael. Splinter frowned. _My son… strapped down. This Keagan has much to answer for._

"So, are we goin' back to da house?" asked Casey. "I'll drive dis time."

Splinter held up a paw. "Not yet, Mr. Jones. We must prepare. We will wait for nightfall, for the cover of darkness."

"Keagan might be ready for us this time, Splinter," said April.

"Is he aware that Donatello was not alone?"

"I don't think so."

"Will it be possible to contact Miss Kohler a second time, April?"

"I could try."

"I believe she might be our best chance of gathering information. But perhaps we should not yet trust her with our plans, Miss O'Neil."

"I believe she is trustworthy, Splinter, but I will respect your judgment."

"I would like to speak with her myself."

"I don't know if Keagan will let her leave again."

"We can but try, April."

***

"Josephine?" April was using her "Aunt Edna" voice again. "Are you free to step out for a meal tonight?"

"I… I don't know…"

"Josephine, please. We need your help."

"I… I'll ask Mr. Keagan, Aunt Edna."

"Tonight. Seven PM. Come alone if you can."

"…All right."

April hung up the phone. "Ok, Splinter. She says she'll try to meet us."

"Will she come alone?"

"I don't know. Last time she had a driver with her, but Keagan might be more trusting now that she came back once."

"We can only wait and see, April. Now, why don't you and Mr. Jones get some rest? You may use my son's rooms if you wish."

"Are you sure, Master Splinter? We don't want to disturb you."

"You are always welcome in our home, April." _Besides, the Lair is far too quiet without the noise of four teenagers._

"All right, Splinter," said April quietly. She put her hand on Casey's arm, stopping his protest. "We'll be right here if you need anything."

"Thank you, April." The old rat made his way into his room, closing the screen behind him. April watched as the glow of several candles were lit.

"He's meditating," said April softly. "Come on, Casey."

"I'll crash here on the couch, Babe. Why don't you lay down for a while, too?"

"I'd feel so strange, using one of the boy's rooms."

"Take Leo's bed. You know he won't care."

"Ok. Keep it to a dull roar, ok, Casey? Splinter might not like a lot of noise."

"No problem, Babe. I was just gonna turn on a hockey game."

April rolled her eyes. "Just keep it down, ok?"

"Yeah, no problem." Casey stretched out on the couch, his eyes already glued to the action on the screen.

April made her way up the stairs, and down to Leonardo's room. She hesitated outside the door. The room was too quiet, as if it were waiting for its occupant to return. April made her way over to the low bed, and lay down. She buried her face in the pillow, inhaling the familiar scent, a mixture of incense, tea, and sweat that was Leonardo.

_Oh, Leo._ Tears slid down her cheeks. She wiped at them impatiently, and closed her eyes, lulled by the peace of the room and the safe, familiar smell of her lost friend. Soon she was asleep.

***

In his room, Splinter listened to the sounds of the television, and the breathing of his two guests. He closed his eyes, at peace. His sons were not far away. He knew where they were, and soon he would be attempting to bring them home. Still, the story of Raphael's injuries disturbed him.

_What does this man want with my sons_? he asked himself, not for the first time. _Why must humans covet the wonders of the world around them? Why can they not simply let us exist?_

_This Keagan, he has no honor, keeping a young girl against her will. Why? Why not hire someone willing? He is not without the means. I fear he has a more sinister motive than needing an assistant. But what could it be? _

_April trusts her. Her assessments have proven sound in the past. Perhaps this girl will help my sons._

Splinter closed his eyes, letting himself slip into the spiritual plane. He reached out, searching. _Leonardo. Donatello. Michelangelo. Raphael._

_Sensei?_ Leonardo's essence touched Splinter's mind, but it was distracted, fearful. _Sensei, they've taken Donatello away. To see a veterinarian. I shouldn't have let Josephine take him…_

_Leonardo, my son. Did Donatello go willingly?_

_Yes, Sensei._

_Trust him, Leonardo._

_I do, Sensei, but I fear for him._

_I will try to contact him. Are you all right?_

_Yes, Sensei. Michelangelo is with me as well._

_Good. Take care of your brother, Leonardo._

_Yes, Sensei._

Splinter searched the spiritual plane. Of the four, Donatello had always been weakest at meditation. He found it difficult to quiet his mind, to free it of the distractions and ideas that constantly poked at his consciousness. Donatello's essence was, as usual, distracted, as if he were far away, and focused elsewhere.

_Donatello! Splinter spoke loudly into the plane, catching Donatello's attention for a fleeting moment. _

_Sensei… she wants to examine me! _

_Splinter felt fear from his son, fury and a deep determination._

_Donatello, are you in danger?_

_No, Sensei. I must see Raphael… _

The connection snapped abruptly as whatever was happening in the physical world took Donatello's full attention. Splinter felt revulsion, fear coming through the connection before it closed off entirely.

_Oh, my son, what are they doing to you? I am coming, Donatello._

Slowly, almost reluctantly, he reached out once again, searching for the strong personality of his son, Raphael. It was difficult, but Splinter managed to find Raph.

_My son._

_S…Sensei?_

_Raphael. Are you all right?_

_Hurts, Sensei… it hurts._

_Are you injured, my son?_

…_Yes._

_Your brothers are nearby, Raphael, and I am coming for you. Hold on._

_Don't let him hurt them, Sensei. Save them. _

_Raphael, did Keagan hurt you?_

_No Sensei. It was an accident._

_Rest, my son, and heal. We will come for you. I will bring you home._

_Come soon, Sensei. I… I don't know how long I can stay awake. I'm so tired… The shot they gave me…_

_Raphael! You must hold on, my Son. You must wait for me, wait for us. We will bring you home. _

_Yes… Sensei._


	27. Chapter 27 Together

**A/N: Finally, the green team is reunited. Only three chaps to go. Hold on to your seats, it's gonna get bumpy!**

**A huge thank you to the reviewers, I am amazed at the kindness and faithful reviews!**

**

* * *

**_Chapter 27 -Together-  
~~~_

Raphael was floating. He drifted, letting the sensation of weightlessness carry him. _Dis hammock's almost too comfortable. I should wake up soon, or Leo'll be poundin' on da door, wakin' me up for training. He gets grumpy when I don't get up on time. Well, maybe just a few more minutes…_

_Shell, what a weird dream. Master Splinter says I've got to wake up… to hold on… but it's so much easier to just drift… to rest. I could close my eyes… I could sleep. Wait, I am sleeping, ain't I?… I'm so tired. _

A hand touched Raphael's forehead, familiar, comforting. _Donny? What the shell… where am I?_

Raph struggled against the lethargy that was dragging at him, making him feel heavy and weightless at the same time.

"Raph. Raph, can you hear me?" Donatello's voice penetrated the fog, but it sounded far away.

"He's heavily sedated, Donatello. He won't respond." A woman, but not April. She sounded unfamiliar.

"You can't keep him pumped full of sedatives! He'll go into hibernation, and with our mixed DNA, we don't come out of it naturally like normal turtles."

_Why're ya gettin' so upset, Donny? Hibernation sounds pretty good about now._

"He can't keep thrashing about. He'll re-open the wounds. We'll let him wake up, but we'll have to use the muscle relaxant. It will paralyze him, but he'll be awake."

"What? _No!_ You can't do that. You have no idea what that would do to Raph's mind."

_Take it easy, Don. Shell, yer gettin' yerself all worked up. Don't get upset over me, Don. I'm fine where I am, just drifting…_

"Donatello, I can not allow him to injure himself further!"

"He's _my_ brother. I've been taking care of all our medical needs for over ten years now. I know what's best for him."

"Donatello, I understand your feelings, I do. But I must do what's best for his physical health."

"What about his _psychological_ health?" Donatello was shouting now.

_Donny sounds pretty upset. Who is dis woman, anyway? Da voice sounds kinda familiar… like cold hands… and needles. Needles? Oh shell._

Raphael pushed back against the fog filling his brain. He willed himself to feel something… anything. He became aware of his body. He had hands, feet. Slowly, his awareness grew until he was sorry he'd pursued it. Sharp pains in his shoulders, and the backs of his legs, made him groan. Conversation and movement around him stopped.

_Heh. Guess I'm back._

He opened his eyes, blinking against the harsh glare of the light overhead.

"Raph?"

Raphael turned his head, to look into the face of his purple-banded brother. "D…D… Donny? Am I… home?"

"Not yet, bro," said Don softly. "How're you feeling?"

"Like I busted… a brick wall, an' it bit back." Raph tried to lift his hand, to touch his brother, to assure himself he really was there. Something held him back, pinning his wrist to the side of the bed. "What da shell?"

"Hang on, bro, I'll get those things offa you." He felt Donatello's fingers brush his arm, and he twitched involuntarily.

_Cuffs… I remember now. That Keagan. And that damned Johansson woman… They did this, strapped me to the bed, stuck me with a needle. Johansson… Oh _shell!

"Donatello, I don't think that's a good idea…"

Amber eyes tracked the voice, and Raphael's gaze froze on the brown eyes of the slender woman standing on the other side of the bed. He jerked automatically in the restraints, every instinct telling him to fight. A low growl escaped Raphael, and he scowled at her. "_You."_

"No. You're not leaving him tied to the bed. He'll stay put if I tell him to," said Donatello sharply. The woman shook her head, but made no move to stop Donatello from unbuckling the strap from his brother's arm.

"Donny," said Raphael through clenched teeth. "Get her the _shell_ away from me, 'fore I do somet'in' I regret. Masta' Splinter always said we shouldn't hit a _lady._"

"It's ok, Raph. She's trying to help take care of you. You hurt yourself pretty bad, breaking through that glass. What were you thinking?"

"Dey were hurtin' Mikey. Where is he? Where's my little brother?" Raphael tried to sit up, glaring at the woman. She took a step back. Donatello put his hands on his brother's plastron, pushing him gently back.

"Raph, no, it's ok, Michelangelo's fine. He's with Leo. He's _fine_, Raph, I promise you. Nobody hurt Mikey." Raphael looked at Donatello, and relaxed. His brothers would never lie to him.

"I heard 'im yellin'," he said gruffly.

"Keagan was moving him, and Mikey got scared. You know how he gets. He yelled because he tripped, and Keagan caught him so he wouldn't fall, that's all. He was more upset at seeing you bleeding all over in a pile of glass than anything else," said Donatello sharply.

"Yeah, well, dat Keagan was messin' wit' my bro. I couldn't let dat happen," said Raphael stubbornly. He watched the doctor through narrowed eyes. She made no attempt to come closer to the bed.

"Raphael, you're making everything more difficult for yourself," she said. "If you'd just cooperate, Justin wouldn't keep trying to restrain and sedate you."

"If Keagan'd let us go, I wouldn't have to pound him inta dust," Raph retorted. "What am I supposed ta do, just let him stick us in cages, like a buncha _animals_?"

"He's trying to help you and your brothers, Raphael. He's trying to save you from extinction."

"Don, please tell me she's kiddin'." Raphael turned to his brother, his eye ridges rising. "She can't be serious?"

Donatello shook his head, unbuckling the rest of the restraints. Raphael could see the strained patience in his brother's eyes that he usually reserved for Mikey on his more hyper days. The woman was getting on Don's nerves, too, but he was ignoring her for the moment.

_Wait a minute. Don wasn't here when I… when dey gave me dat shot. What da shell's going on?_

"Donny, how'd you get here?" Donatello sighed.

"I… broke in. I was trying to get you all out. Keagan caught me in the cage with Leo and Mikey, and managed to get the door shut before I could get past him. He… he had a tranq gun, Raph. There was nothing I could do." His dark eyes pleaded with his brother for understanding.

"It's not yer fault, Donny," said Raph softly, gripping his brother's forearm, ignoring the pain that shot through his own shoulder. "Ya came fer us, dat's what matters."

"Yeah, and got myself caught, too."

"Ya came, an' ya proba'ly saved my life," said Raph softly. "I… I didn't wanna wake up, Don. Masta' Splinter… I'm not sure it wasn't a dream…"

"No. He talked to us, too," said Don softly.

"He said I had to hold on. He said you were here, an' he…" Raphael trailed off, remembering the woman, who was now listening, wide-eyed.

"Yeah, I know, Raph," said Don. Silent communication passed between them.

_They're coming for us. Splinter, April and Casey. _

"An' den I heard ya talkin', an' dat's when I woke up."

"Amazing." The woman spoke. "Raphael, you shouldn't have woken up from the dose of sedatives we'd given you for at least another few hours."

"Do ya hear somet'in', Don? I don't." said Raphael, keeping his eyes trained on his brother's face.

Donatello sighed. "Real mature, Raph," he muttered, but a grin belied his rebuke.

"We have unusual resilience," he said to the woman over Raph's head. "Now, if Raph feels up to moving, we should go back to the others."

The woman was shaking her head. "Keagan wants Raphael isolated for now. Until his temper cools."

"Keagan's an idiot," snapped Donatello. "He can't keep us separated, or this will happen again. We've been together our entire lives."

"Donny, you talk like we're stayin'," Raphael growled.

"Raph, right now I don't have a choice!" yelled Donatello. He turned away from the bed and stalked a few steps away. "We're stuck here, trapped. We might as well accept it. We've got to make the best of the situation."

_What? Has Don gone off his shell?_ Raphael stared at his brother, feeling the familiar rage and frustration burn in his chest. _Accept it? Make the best of the situation? No way am I gonna be kept in a cage fer da rest o' my life! I ain't leavin' my bros in no cage, either, not if I can help it! We're gonna get outta here, Donny, snap outta it!_

Donatello turned, his chocolate-brown eyes meeting his brother's. _Play along, Raph._

Raphael heard the words as clearly as if his brother had spoken. He felt the smirk cross his features, and quickly rearranged them into a scowl, but not before he saw the flicker of recognition and relief in Don's eyes.

"Ok," he growled. "Donny, yer da smartest outta all o' us. If you say dis is how it is, den I'll live wit' dat. Just as long as I'm wit' you guys, I'll go along wit' whatever Keagan wants."

"I'm glad to hear you say that, Raphael."

_Keagan._

The man walked into the room, smiling as if he'd won the lottery. "Karen, how is he doing?"

"His brother saved his life, Justin. His vitals were already suppressing when I removed the IV drip. He recovered from the sedative remarkably quickly, but if he'd stayed on it much longer, I might not have been able to bring him out of it. Donatello's experience with their physiology may prove invaluable."

"Good, good. Donatello, I appreciate your assistance," said Justin.

"Then listen to me, Keagan. Let us stay together. Don't keep trying to separate us," said Donatello evenly. "Raph says he'll cooperate if we're allowed to stay together."

"Really? Raphael?" Keagan's eyebrows rose.

"Yeah. Whatever ya want. Just leave my bros alone."

"You do realize we will occasionally have to take only one or two of you out of the enclosure at a time, for exercise or physical examinations?"

"As long as ya don't hurt any of us, we won't fight ya, Keagan," grated Raphael.

_But if ya try hurtin' one of us, yer dead._

"You're going to have to learn to trust me, Raphael," said Keagan. "I'm only trying to do what's best for you and your brothers."

"Who're _you_ ta decide what's best fer _us_?" growled Raphael. Donatello laid a hand on his plastron.

"Shut up, Raph. All right, Keagan. I'll take him back now."

"All right. I'll accompany you. Do you see, Raphael, how much more pleasant this is? No need for restraints or tranquilizers?"

Raphael didn't answer, only shot the man a killing glare.

"It was nice to meet you, Donatello. I'll look forward to talking with you further," said Karen Johansson brightly.

_Don't count on it, Lady. We don't plan on hangin' around that long,_ thought Raphael.

Donatello put his arm behind Raphael's shoulder, lifting him. Raph hissed with pain, but struggled to sit up. Keagan came to the side of the bed, reaching for Raphael's shell to help.

"Don't _touch_ me, Keagan," growled Raph. Justin backed off, and Donatello helped his brother sit up on the side of the bed.

"Ready, Raph?"

"…Yeah."

Donatello took his brother's full weight as Raphael staggered to his feet. He swayed for a moment, then straightened his legs, taking some of his weight off his brother. They made their slow, painful way down the hall, Donatello holding his brother up the entire way.

***

Josephine came into the house quietly. Her eyes were red from crying. Meeting Splinter had been the biggest shock of her young life, but after meeting the turtles, she'd managed to greet the rat without fainting. He had been so kind, spoken so gently to her, she'd broken down. His voice reminded her so strongly of her father's.

Hearing the rat's anger and grief over his sons had broken Josephine's heart. She was more convinced now than ever that what Justin was doing was wrong, and that she would do whatever it took to free her friends. She made her way down the hall, and slipped through the hidden door, anxious to see them. Justin was just coming out of the room that housed their enclosure.

"Oh! Mr. Keagan… you startled me." Josephine took a step back, allowing him to pass. "How are they?"

"Everyone's doing just fine. Yes, very well indeed. Come on, now, I've just gotten them fed and settled for the night. You can see them in the morning, Josephine."

"Oh! Well, I just wanted to say goodnight…"

Justin shook his head, moving to block the door with his body. Josephine felt a chill run through her at the hard expression on his face. "Not tonight. They're fine."

"You didn't put them in restraints again, did you?" she asked, her voice going high with alarm.

"No. In fact, we've reached an understanding," said Justin smugly. "They agreed to be more cooperative from now on. They're settling into their new home nicely. As soon as I have a larger enclosure installed, I think they'll do very well."

"That's… that's wonderful. How's Raphael?"

"He's awake. His brother insisted on checking over his wounds. As long as he leaves the bandages alone, he should heal with very few scars."

"Oh, good." _And he's not in restraints and a muzzle? What is going on? Why would they agree to cooperate with Justin? I thought all they wanted was to get out of here. I've got to talk to them, let them know I saw their father and April._

"Well, I'll just go to bed, then," she said, faking a yawn.

"Yes, why don't you get some rest. Tomorrow will be a long day," said Justin. Josephine met his eyes, and fear shot through her. It was all she could do not to turn and run from the house in that instant.

_What's wrong with me? He's not very nice, but he hasn't threatened _me_. And he's even tried to take care of the turtles. I don't like his methods, or even what he's doing, but it's not like he's hurting them. Why do I suddenly feel as if I should be afraid?_

She turned away, and walked quickly down to the small guest apartment Justin let her use. She hesitated only a moment before locking the door behind herself. She lay down on the bed, not even bothering to change into her nightclothes. Sleep was a long time in coming.


	28. Chapter 28 A Cry for Help

**A/N: Well, you wanted to know what Keagan was up to... now you'll find out.  
Yeah, he's a nutter. But you knew that already, right?**

**Splinter's shell-cell troubles are inspired by a 2003 episode in which the mousers cause a cave-in. He's separated from the boys, and Don tries calling him. He answers, but can't figure out how the phone works, and they hear him muttering on the line "How does this thing work? Stupid device!..." It made me crack up. I love Splinter. He reminds me of my own tech-challenged Mom. :-)**

**A huge thank you once again to the faithful reviewers and readers. I can't believe this fic has received over 200 reviews!  
**

**

* * *

**_Chapter 28 -Cry for Help-  
~~~_

"April! Yer cell phone's ringin'!"

"What?"

"Yer phone! It's ringin'!"

"Answer it!"

"…Ok. 'llo?"

"April? It's Josephine… I don't have much time, listen, Justin's gone crazy, he's got this insane plan to cross-breed the guys with a human female... but that's not the worst part. You've got to get them out of here! Raphael made him really mad today, and I think he's planning to do something absolutely horrible… April, you have to come now, as soon as you can get here, please, there isn't much time…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Babe, just calm down. Now what's dis about my buddy Raph? What's goin' on over der?"

"What? Who is this?"

"Da name's Casey, Babe."

"Oh! Oh, I have the wrong number, I'm sorry…"

"No, no, wait, dis is April's phone, I was just answerin' it for her 'cause she's, ya know, in da john. Now what's goin' on?"

"When I got back last night, Justin was… different. He scared me."

"Ok, and den what happened?"

"He wouldn't let me go in to see the guys. He said he had things under control, they were all settled for the night. I was worried… I thought he might have put them back in restraints."

"Ya mean dis guy's been tyin' dem up?" Casey's voice rose with fury.

"He's using harnesses, with padded cuffs, to keep them under control," explained Josephine. "And… muzzles."

"What? April didn't say nothin' about no muzzles! I'm gonna rip dis guy's _head_ off his shoulders! I'm gonna take him _apart_ for doin' dat to my green buddies! I'm gonna…"

"Casey, listen to me!" Josephine broke in, sounding breathless. "I don't have much time. April's got to come _now._ I pretended to go to bed, but I went back out. I was worried about them. I snuck in, and talked to them for a while. They were actually ok last night, Keagan put them all together. Raphael's awake, and he's feeling a lot better. Don's amazing…"

"Yeah, Don's a regular Einstein wit' a shell, I know. What about Keagan?" asked Casey impatiently.

"When I was coming out, I heard Keagan in his office, so I… I went to listen," said Josephine. "I heard him talking to Doctor Johansson. He said Raphael's too much trouble, he's too aggressive. Casey, I think he's planning to… to have Raphael _put to sleep."_

"_WHAT?"_ Casey's shout rattled down the line.

"Don't yell like that! Somebody will hear you! If I get caught talking on the phone, Justin'll probably lock me up, too."

"Josephine listen, you gotta stall 'em as long as you can. Warn Raph. Don't let dem take him outta da cage. If he knows what Keagan plans, he'll fight."

"I don't want them getting hurt." Josephine's sob came clearly through the phone. "If I tell the others what's going on, they'll all attack Justin. He'll tranq them and put them back in restraints… He'll take Raphael anyway. Please, just tell April she has to hurry. I'll do what I can, but you've got to hurry."

"Josephine, do whateva ya gotta do. Don't let him hurt da guys!" Casey pleaded desperately.

"I can't talk, I have to go. Justin's coming. Just tell April to hurry, please… she's got to hurry!"

"Ok, I'll tell her don't you…" _Click_. "Josephine? Josephine? Hey, chick!"

The line went dead.

Casey swore and glared at the phone as if he could will it back to life.

"What's wrong, Casey? Who was that?" April asked, coming out of the bathroom, rubbing her wet hair with a towel. As much as she loved Splinter, she'd decided that a trip back to her own apartment for a shower was a necessity.

"It was dat Josephine chick. She says Keagan's gone bonkers, Ape. She says he's got some crazy plan to breed da guys, an' Raph done somethin' to make da guy mad, an' she says he's gonna do somet'in' bad ta him. April, she said da guy says he's gonna put Raph 'ta sleep'! Whatda we do now?"

April's green eyes were stark in her pale face. "We have to get them out. Casey, call Splinter now, while I get dressed. He'll have to meet us in the warehouse. We'll take the Battle Shell, and head over there now."

"What about da plan?"

"There's no time. We have to go now."

"Ok. It's about time we busted some heads!"

"Bring your baseball bat, Casey. We're going to need it!"

***

Splinter was meditating when the shell cell rang. He opened his eyes and looked at the thing, blinking in annoyance. Who on earth could be calling him? His sons were not able to contact him this way, and April and Casey had left less than an hour before. April wanted to freshen up before they left on their mission to rescue his sons.

_How does this infernal device work?_ thought Splinter, picking up the noisy unit. _I believe it is _this_ button…_ The annoying noise stopped, but the screen remained blank. _I have disconnected the call. I do hope it wasn't important_. Splinter set the phone down on the table. Standing up with a sigh, he decided to make a cup of tea. He stood, stretching, and made his way out to the kitchen to put the water on to heat.

On the short table in his room, the cell pulsated, its urgent summons silenced by Splinter's push of a button, switching it to "vibrate".

Splinter poured his tea and made his way back to his room. He knelt on his meditation mat. A soft buzzing noise caught his attention. _What is that? It sounds as though an insect has become trapped in my room… It sounds quite similar to what we heard just before those horrid 'mousers' attacked, so many years ago._

Splinter's tail twitched with alarm. _We destroyed Stockman's robots. And it has stopped… No, there it is again. Is something attempting to break into the Lair?_ Splinter picked up his walking stick, and stalked the room, listening carefully at each corner, and at various places along the walls. He approached the table slowly. Whatever was making the noise was coming from directly underneath.

Slowly, cautiously, and with disciplined silence, Splinter moved the table aside.

"Hi-_ya!_" he brought the walking stick down with all his might… and stared with shock and regret at the smashed shell-cell laying in a dozen fragments on the concrete floor.

_How did the device end up on the floor? At least the mysterious noise has stopped. Donatello, my son, I will owe you an apology when you are home again. It is usually your brothers, not your father, who destroys these devices and must beg you for repairs. I hope you are able to salvage this and forgive an old rat for his hasty attack._

Splinter gathered the sad bits of the broken shell cell, and laid them on the table, to give them to his son later, when he was home… when they were all home safe again. The forlorn pieces reminded Splinter of his family, broken, and awaiting repair.

With a sigh, he sank to the mat, and picked up his cup of tea. He sipped, savoring the flavors and the steam that rose from the cup.

_I wonder who was trying to call. I do hope it wasn't urgent._

***

"April, Splinter's not answerin' his phone," said Casey anxiously. "Da ya t'ink somet'in' happened ta him?"

"No, Casey, I'm sure he's fine," said April, a little anxiously. "We'd better get over there. I don't want to wait another instant. We've got to get moving."

"Alright, Babe. Let's go."

It took them nearly twenty minutes to reach the warehouse. They burst out of the elevator, calling for Splinter.  
"April! Mr. Jones! What is wrong?" Splinter rushed from his room, brandishing his walking stick, ready to fight to the death to defend his home against invaders.

"Splinter, we gotta go _now_," said Casey breathlessly.

"What? What has happened?" Splinter paused, taking in their pale faces and labored breathing. "What is wrong?"

"Josephine called my cell phone, Master Splinter," explained April. "She's in real trouble. The guys, too. Keagan plans to kill Raphael. We have to stop him!"

A growl came from the old rat's throat. "_Keagan_. Let us not waste any more time. But why did you not call me, April?"

"We tried, Splinter. Your shell-cell… doesn't seem to be working," said April. She saw a flash of guilt in Splinter's eyes, and wondered why. The old rat shook his head.

"Let us go."

"Come on, Sensei. I'll drive," said Casey, leading the way into the elevator. Splinter glanced at the tall man, and shook his head.

_It will be a wonder if we arrive in one piece,_ he thought.


	29. Chapter 29 HotHead

**A/N: This chapter is dedicated to my faithful beta-reader, Raphfreak, breeder of plot-bunnies, encourager, and general bad influence. Be sure to check out her profile for the art contest she's holding!**

**And, Raph-lovers, when you're looking for someone to lynch after reading this chapter, keep in mind- this is all Raphfreak's fault.  
**

**

* * *

**_Chapter 29 -Hot-Head-  
~~~_

"Raph, when are you going to _stop_ being such a hot-head and _think_?" Leonardo's glare met Raphael's amber gaze, fury written in every line of his face.

"What am I _supposed_ ta do, Fearless? Just let 'im drag Mikey outta here?"

"_Yes_. He was just taking him for exercise."

"Well, if Mikey hadn't o' started cryin', mebbe I wouldn't o' had ta bust Keagan in da chops. It's not like I knocked 'im out er not'in. His mouth was hardly even bleedin'!"

A sniff from the corner almost made Raph look at his younger brother. Now Donatello's brown eyes were fastened on Raph with reproach as well.

_Aw, shell, I didn't mean ta make 'im start cryin' again. It's not Mikey's fault he's scared o' da guy. I'd o' been scared, too, if he was takin' me away from my brothers._

"Raph, you made him mad. You _know_ the plan. We've got to cooperate with him, until Splinter and April can find a way to get us out of here."

"Well, he wouldn't leave Mikey alone," said Raphael stubbornly, crossing his arms over his plastron. "If he wants ta take Mike, he's gotta take one of us, too. We gotta stick together. We gotta protect each other."

"We _are_ protecting ourselves, Raph. Sometimes you've got to bend, so you don't break," said Leo. Some of the anger went out of his voice. "Listen, Raph, I don't want to fight…"

"Coulda fooled me, Fearless."

Leonardo ignored that. "We've just got to get along for a day, maybe two. When Keagan comes back, I want you to apologize to him."

"_What?_ Me, _apologize_ to dat… dat…" Raphael was so furious the words wouldn't come. He turned away from his brother with a growl. "Not gonna happen, Leo."

"Raph, you _have_ to. We've got to make him think we're subdued. If you don't, he might try to put you in restraints. He might start using those tranq darts to control us again."

"I can't do dis, Leo." Raphael's voice was quiet, almost defeated. "I can't. I can't stand by and watch him do dis to us. To you. To Mikey. Leadin' us around like pups on a string… I can't pretend it's ok."

"Raph." He felt Leonardo's hand on his shoulder, but for once didn't shrug it off. "It's not ok. Of course it's not. And Keagan's going to regret he ever tried to do this to us. But for now, we've got to use our skills. We're _ninja_, Raph. Sometimes that means we use trickery. There's no dishonor in tricking our enemy. _You_ know we're not animals. _We_ know we're not animals. What Keagan thinks means nothing."

"It means somet'in ta me, if it means he t'inks he can just take Mikey outta here when he don't want ta go," said Raphael, his fists clenched at his sides. "It means somet'in, Leo, when he took ya to dat vet an' put ya out and stuck a big ol' needle in ya. It means somet'in when…"

Raphael trailed off, his eyes drifting to his two younger brothers. Michelangelo was huddled in a corner of the cage. Donatello was kneeling next to him, his arms around his shoulders. Mikey's blue eyes were hidden, his head bowed. Occasional sniffs told Raph he was trying to control the sobs that had shaken him after the scuffle with Keagan.

"'When' what, Raph?" asked Leonardo softly, his dark eyes narrowing.

Raphael's amber gaze snapped back to his brother's face. _If I tell 'im, he'll fight Keagan, like I did, an' none of us'll stand a chance. Sorry, bro. I'm doin' dis for you. For Don and Mikey, too._

"Not'in, Leo. Just let it go, ok?" Raph turned away, shrugging his brother's hand off his shoulder, and walked to the other side of the cage, near the door, out of Leonardo's space.

"Raph…"

"Drop it, Fearless."

He heard Leonardo sigh. The older turtle went over to Michelangelo and Donatello. "Hey, Mikey, you ok?"

"Y…yes."

Raphael heard another sniffle.

"I… I'm sorry, Leo. I… I just… that doctor woman… I couldn't go with him. Not by myself. What if she's there? What if they wants to stick another needle in me?"

"It's ok, Mike. I understand," said Leonardo gently.

Raphael sighed. _Mikey's been scared o' needles since Bishop,_ he thought. _O' course, Keagan don't know dat. All we are to him is animals to be paraded around and poked and prodded… An'… put to sleep, if we're too hard ta control. _

Raphael closed his eyes against the fear rising in his chest.

_What'm I gonna do when he comes for me? I can't fight him, he might hurt the others, start usin' dem restraints again. Leo'd try to defend me if I fought, an' he'd get hurt. At least I hope he'd fight for me. Dis plan o' his, goin' along wit' Keagan… He might not. _ Raphael's heart sank at the thought of Keagan dragging him away, and his brothers standing passively by, not knowing he was going to his death. _I don't t'ink I'd ever be able ta forgive Leo, even if I got away somehow. He sure would never forgive himself._

_I can't fight Keagan when da time comes. Not in the cage. I gotta wait til he gets me out in da hall or someplace, away from the others. Den I can cut loose on 'im. He might hit me wit' one o' those tranq darts, but at least I'll have a fightin' chance, an' he won't blame da guys fer me fightin' wit' him._

Raphael sat, brooding, remembering Josephine's visit the night before.

***

_Josephine came in, and didn't hesitate at all. She walked right over and opened the cage. Michelangelo was sleeping in the corner. Donny was curled up near him, and Leonardo was sitting, keeping watch over his brothers. Raphael was nearest the door. he sat up, his amber eyes gleaming in the dim light. He frowned. The girl never just walked in. She spoke to them first, waited for their acknowledgement, almost as if she were entering their home. _

_Not this time. She opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her. She sat down on the peat, not far from Raphael. He noticed she was pale. Her hands were trembling as her fingers dug nervously in the peat._

"_Are you alright, Josephine?" asked Leonardo._

"…_Yes."_

_Leo went back to meditating._

"_Josephine?" Raphael's gravely whisper made the girl jump. "Whatsa matter?"_

_She avoided his eyes, shaking her head slightly._

"_Josephine…"_

_She half-smiled. "You can call me Jo, Raphael."_

"_Raph. It's just Raph. Ya might be able ta fool Leo, but ya ain't hangin' out in here 'cause of our sparklin' wit. What's wrong?" He kept his voice low. Josephine glanced at him, but her eyes darted away again fearfully._

"_He's going to take you, Raph."_

"_What?"_

"_Justin. He's going to take you away tomorrow."_

"_Take me? Where?" Raphael sat up, his back to Leonardo. The girl was whispering, so he knew she didn't intend his brothers to overhear this conversation. It didn't matter, he'd tell them about it later. For now, let her talk._

"_He says you're too hard to control. He was talking to Karen Johansson on the phone. I think she was arguing with him, but it sounded like she agreed in the end. I… I heard him say 'your way is more humane'. Raph… he… he…plans to… put you to sleep."_

_"What? What da shell does dat mean?" _

_Her brown eyes met his with an anguished look. "Raphael, he intends to kill you."_

Raph hadn't shown any emotion. Not in front of his brothers. His mind had raced. _They wouldn't let him take me, if I'd made a scene last night. I figured I could handle him on my own, but not in dis cage. O' course now I made things worse, not lettin' him take Mikey. But how could I? What if he decides Mikey's 'disposable', too?_

He'd reassured Josephine that he would be all right. He'd extracted her promise that she would, no matter what happened, do everything she could to protect his brothers. She'd nodded tearfully before fleeing.

Raphael knew he could have asked the girl to get him out that night, to unlock the cage and let him, all of them, go, but the risk was too great. As it turned out, his instinct was right. Keagan came in a few minutes after Josephine, to check on them. He checked the cage door, tugging at it, and smiled in satisfaction when he found it locked.

_He knew_, thought Raphael. _He knew she'd been in here. He's watching us. He's got cameras in here somewhere. That's how he caught Donny. He's been watching us all da time. He's pro'lly watchin' us now._ The thought made him growl.

"You ok, Raphy?" Mikey crouched next to his big brother. Raph didn't look up. _If I look at Mikey, I might lose it. I might tell 'em. Nah, I can't do that. They can't know. As long as we're stuck here, an' he has those tranq darts, it's too risky. I can't let dem get hurt fer me. _

"Yeah, Mike, I'm ok."

"Raphy, you don't look ok."

"_Leave it_, Mikey."

"But Raph…"

"I said, leave it! Don't ya ever _stop talkin'?_" roared Raphael. Instantly he regretted it, looking up and seeing tears gathering in blue eyes.

"Mikey…"

"Sorry I asked," snapped Michelangelo. He turned away.

"Mikey, wait." Raphael jumped to his feet, and grabbed his brother's arm, swinging him around. Michelangelo's fists came up, his blue eyes burning with unaccustomed fury. Raphael instinctively blocked his punch, but didn't strike back. When Michelangelo lashed out again, Raph caught his fist in his hand. Mikey's eyes went wide, but he jerked back, struggling to free his trapped hand. Raphael's heart hurt for his brother, for the anger and fear he saw in those blue eyes.

"Mikey. Listen ta me. I… I'm sorry."

"What?" The youngest turtle froze, staring at Raphael as if he'd grown two heads.

"I'm sorry. Fer all da times I yelled at ya. I don't mean it, Mike. Ya… ya know I… I love ya, right?"

Confusion clouded Michelangelo's face. "Of course I do, Raphy. You're my brother."

"Ok. Just… just so ya know, dat's all," said Raph gruffly, forcing his own tears back. "I just wanted to make sure ya knew dat."

"Raph, what's going on?" Michelangelo stared at his older brother. Raphael shook his head, and gave Michelangelo a smirk to hide his emotions.

"I just don't wantcha cryin' all over da place 'cause I yelled at ya," he said.

Michelangelo scowled and punched him on the arm. "You're such a jerk, Raph."

"Yeah," Raphael sighed. "I know."

Michelangelo shook his head and turned away to where Donatello was still sitting, staring at the peat, in the corner. Leonardo was sitting, his eyes closed.

_Meditatin'. What Fearless does best._ Raphael surveyed his brothers, drinking in their presence, wanting to embed each and every detail of their features in his memory, so he'd never forget them for the rest of his life. However long that might be.

_Mikey, yer da best brother a guy could have,_ he thought. _An' Leo, I know you'll take care of 'em. Don… I'm sorry I busted my shell-cell an' forgot ta t'ank ya fer all da times ya patched it back up fer me._ He half-smiled. _I guess ya won't have ta fix as much stuff 'round da Lair if Keagan gets me._

_Leo… Keep 'em safe. I know you will, bro. Yer always lookin' out fer us. I just hope ya can forgive me, Leo. I'm doin' dis fer you. Ta give ya a chance._

"Raph?" Raphael realized Donatello's eyes were on him, intense, burning, searching.

"What, Don?"

Donatello got up, crossing the cage to his brother's side. "What's going on, Raph?"

"Not'in!" Raphael shifted, uncomfortable under Don's gaze.

"Raph. Please. Tell me."

"It's not'in, Don. Everyt'ing's fine, I promise. Ya know, except fer bein' locked up by a nut-job an' all."

"Raphael, you're not… more injured than you told us or anything, are you?" Donatello's piercing gaze made Raphael feel as if he were naked, shell not withstanding. He looked away.

"Donny, I'm fine."

"You'd tell us if anything was wrong, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah, Don," Raphael cringed inwardly at his lie. _Sorry, bro. It's fer yer own good._ "Of course I would."

Donatello touched Raph's arm. Raphael shot him a glare, and he took his hand back with a sigh. "Ok, Raph."

"Hey, Don?" Raphael couldn't help it. He wanted to touch his brother, to embrace him, one last time…

"Yeah, Raph?"

Raphael shook his head. "Not'in."

Donatello gave him an odd look, before walking away shaking his head. Raphael sighed, turned his back to his brothers, and sat down facing the door.

_Waiting sucks_.

As if his thought had been heard, the door to the room swung open, and Justin Keagan strode in, followed by Josephine. Raphael was on his feet in an instant, a growl in his throat, his hands clenched at his sides.

Behind him, he heard Leo's hissed warning. "_Raph!_"

_It's ok, Leo. I ain't gonna punch him dis time. I'll go along like a good little specimen._ Keagan approached the cage, his eyes sweeping the others before landing squarely on Raphael. The man's hand strayed to his lip. Raphael noticed with satisfaction that it was swollen and bruised. He carefully kept his triumphant smirk under control. He would pretend to go along. His brothers' lives depended on it.

"Whatdaya want, Keagan?" Raphael asked, keeping his tone neutral. "Yer not takin' Mikey, unless one o' us goes wit' him. We talked it over. Mikey's scared o' dat doctor woman, but if Leo or Don goes wit' him, he'll be ok."

"Actually, Raphael, I thought some exercise might benefit _you_, said Keagan smoothly. "And Doctor Johansson would like to have another look at those stitches, to be sure they're not… infected."

_Dis is it. _Raphael felt himself tensing up, and forced himself to relax. Josephine kept her eyes on the floor, silent. _Dat's it, Jo, play along. It's gonna be ok. As soon as I'm outta dis cage, Keagan's goin' down._

"Ok, Keagan, whatever ya say," he said, keeping his voice even. Keagan's eyebrows rose in surprise. Josephine twitched, and her eyes met Raph's. He read anguish in her face, but raised his eye ridges, warning her to keep silent.

"After this morning's little _incident_, Raphael, I hope you won't mind allowing Josephine to put the harness on," said Keagan coolly.

_If he gets dat t'ing on me, I'll have a harder time fightin' back. Which of course is da point o' him usin' em. Well, that just makes things a little more challenging.  
_

"…All right." Raphael grated out.

"No!" Leonardo stepped forward, fury flashing in his dark eyes. "Keagan, you agreed not to use that thing on us again!"

"Your brother attacked me, Leonardo. I have to ensure the safety of my staff," said Keagan smoothly.

"It's ok, Leo," Raphael faced his older brother. Leonard's gaze faltered, confusion flickering across his face. "I'll be ok, Leo. Just let it go." Raphael reached out, and squeezed his brother's shoulder. "Take care o' Mikey and Don." he whispered. Leo met his eyes. Raphael ignored the question he saw there. He shook his head. "It's ok, Leo." He let go of Leo's shoulder, and turned to Josephine.

"Let's get dis over wit'."

Josephine nodded, and came into the cage. Raphael stood absolutely still as she buckled the cuffs around his wrists, elbows and ankles. With Keagan watching, she had to tighten them so that Raph wouldn't be able to escape. Raphael closed his eyes as the chain rattled against his shell.

_I'm doin' dis fer you, guys. Leo, I'm sorry. I hope someday you understand, an' you'll be able ta forgive me._


	30. Chapter 30 Invasion

**A/N: ****Yes, I'm posting this at 4AM. No, I haven't had any sleep.  
Well... on with the story. Don't forget to check out the thank-yous at the end of the epilogue. **

**I'll also post the first chap of Raph Country as a teaser. That fic will begin going up with Chapters 1 and 2 posted tomorrow morning. **

**Hard to believe it, but here it is. The final chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Chapter 30 -Invasion-  
~~~_

"Casey, _slow down!_" April cried as the Battle Shell took another turn on two wheels.

"We gotta get der, April. I gotta bad feelin'." Casey glanced at April, his blue eyes wild behind the hockey mask.

"Mr. Jones, we do indeed need to rescue my sons, but in order to do so, we must arrive without an accident!" Splinter was digging his claws into the seat, trying desperately to keep from being thrown around the van like popcorn in a pan.

"Jo says that Keagan guy's gonna hurt Raph. We wasted too much time already! We gotta hurry. We gotta save 'em." Casey swerved, barely missing a car. A horn blared. Casey tapped the brakes lightly, and careened around another corner.

"Casey, stop!"

"April, we gotta…"

"Casey, we're _here!_" The brakes screeched.

"Oh." Casey glanced sheepishly into the green eyes glaring at him.

April sighed. "Come on."

"April, wait. Let me go over da fence an' take care o' da dog. Don gave it some kinda medicine last time, but it'll be awake by now."

"Ok. Be careful."

Casey slipped out of the van and climbed the stone wall, vaulting over the top and landing lightly on the grass on the other side. Almost immediately, a snarling German shepherd darted across the yard.

"Sorry, pooch," said Casey with regret. It really was a nice-looking dog, but those teeth… His hockey stick met the dog's skull with a _crack_, and the dog crumpled in the grass. Casey knelt, touching the dog's throat. It was breathing. "Oh, man, yer gonna have a heck of a headache later," he whispered.

"Casey, is everything all right?"

"Yeah, Babe. Hang on, I'll get da gate an' let you an' Masta' Splinta'…" A form landed silently in the grass next to Casey, making him whirl and take a defensive crouch. "…in."

"That will not be necessary, Mr. Jones," said Splinter calmly, standing.

"I see dat," said Casey, shaking his head. He'd forgotten how agile the old rat was. A _thump_ and a muffled cry behind them announced April's arrival as well.

"Are you ok, April?" Casey hurried over to the redhead, concerned.

She grimaced. "I think so."

"Let's go."

The three made their way to the main house. Casey lifted April up to the window. Splinter leapt lightly up on his own, before Casey clamored in behind them. Splinter crouched, tensing, and his ears lay flat back on his head. His tail twitched.

"Splinter, what is it?" asked April.

"A woman is screaming. Through there." Splinter pointed. April and Casey strained to listen, and just caught the faintest sound.

"Josephine!" April dashed toward the door, with Casey and Splinter close on her heels.

Since April was the only one who'd been there before, she took the lead through the confusing maze of rooms and passageways. Once they burst into the hallway where the enclosures lined the walls, they could hear the terrified screaming quite clearly. April flew down the hall, and burst through the double doors.

"Let me out, let me out, let me _out of here!_" shrieked Josephine. She was lying on a hospital bed, flat on her back, struggling wildly against an array of leather straps that were holding her firmly in place. Her eyes were wide with terrified hysteria.

"Josephine!" April's cry made the girls head snap around. She stared wildly at April.

"April? Is it really you? Please, please get me out of this," cried Josephine, panic showing clearly in every line of her body, held rigid as she thrashed against the straps. "I tried to stop him..."

April rushed forward, and began unbuckling the restraints. "Josephine, what happened? What on earth is going on?"

"You've got to get Raph," sobbed the hysterical girl. "Justin took him into the clinic. He's going to…"

"Where?" asked Casey tersely.

April looked up. "Casey, get her out of this. Splinter and I will go after Raph," she said.

"No, I'm goin'…"

"Casey, there's no time!" April sprinted toward the doors leading to the veterinary clinic, with Splinter close behind.

"_Raphael!"_ Splinter's anguished cry was nearer to a roar. His son, his precious son, lay silent and still, strapped to a steel examination table.

"Raphael, _no…_" A sob closed April's throat. She felt as though all the air and warmth had been sucked out of the room, and nothing would ever be happy or safe or right again. "Oh, Raphael…" She staggered to the table-side. "Splinter, we're too late… He's… he's…"

"No! He is breathing!" Splinter laid his paw on Raphael's plastron. "April, we must find Donatello. Whatever has been done to Raphael must be reversed. He is still here, but he is slipping further away." The desperation and urgency in the old rat's voice shocked April to her core. Splinter was a rock, steady as granite, no matter the situation, but seeing his son lying strapped to a table, near death had shattered his legendary composure. April simply nodded, and turned and ran.

She burst back into the room where Casey was removing the last of the straps from a sobbing Josephine. "Josephine, I need the keys, _now_. We've got to get Donatello."

"Raph?" Casey's blue eyes bored into April's, begging her for an answer.

"He's alive. But he's been… I don't know, drugged or something. We need Don _now_."

Josephine was searching her pockets frantically. "He never took my keys. Here… here they are!" She held out the precious keys to April.

"You have to come, Josephine. I don't know where they are!"

Casey tugged the girl off the bed, and onto the floor, steadying her by holding her arm in an iron grip. Josephine swayed, but managed to stand.

"You ok?" asked Casey.

The girl nodded. "I'm fine," she said through gritted teeth. "We have to go, now." She took one step, and fell forward with a cry. Casey caught her, scooping her up as if she weighed nothing at all. She flinched, staring up at him with huge brown eyes.

"Come on, I'll help ya. Just tell us where ta go," said Casey.

She nodded. "That way."

April raced down the hall, following Casey, who carried his burden as if the girl were a feather pillow.

"The button, it's up there." Josephine pointed. April got the hidden door open, and the three of them burst into the room where the turtles were caged.

Leonardo sprang to his feet as the door burst open. Michelangelo rushed to the bars, grabbing on to them. "You came!" he shouted. "I _knew_ you'd come for us!"

"Donny, Raph… he's in trouble." Casey yelled. "April, you got da key? You gotta get 'im outta der. Raph _needs _'im!"

"What's happened to Raph? Keagan took him away almost hour ago. He said it was just for exercise. Jo, what's going on?" Leonardo rushed to the door, waiting anxiously while April turned the key.

"This way, Don," said April, grabbing the turtle's hand, and dragging him toward the door. "Come on. Splinter says he's still there, but he's been drugged, or something. He's unconscious."

"Is he breathing? Did you check for a pulse?" Donatello followed April, asking questions the entire way.

"I don't _know,_ Don, just hurry!"

They rushed back to the clinic where Raphael still lay, motionless, on the table. Splinter had removed the straps. By the state of some of them, he'd simply ripped them from the table and left them hanging like ragged leaves. He was holding Raphael's hand, stroking it gently with his furred paw. He looked up as they burst into the room, relief showing in his black eyes as Donatello rushed to his brother's side.

April backed away, leaving the turtle room to work. _He'll be ok, now,_ she thought. _Donny's the best. He'll know what to do. Raph'll be ok. They'll all be ok, now. They'll be home before we know it, and this will all just be a bad memory…_

A mere whisper of sound, the rustle of clothing behind her was April's only warning. A sinewy arm circled her waist, and the cold, snub nose of a pistol pressed against her neck. She instinctively struggled, but the gun jabbed her, and she froze.

"Step away from the table, Donatello." A man's voice. The others whirled.

"_Keagan._" If looks could kill, Leonardo's glare would have annihilated Justin Keagan on the spot. He instinctively reached for his katanas, clenching his fists in frustration when they weren't there.

"Let her _go_, Keagan," snarled Donatello. "You're outnumbered."

"Yes, but it seems I have the upper hand," said Keagan with a cool smile. "I suggest, if you don't want your friend's jugular torn apart by a close-range shot from this tranq pistol, that you all return quietly to your enclosure. Only then will your human friends be allowed to leave the premises."

"No way, Keagan," Mikey's blue eyes burned with fury. "We're leavin' and you ain't gonna stop us. Now let her _go!_"

"You're hardly in a position to bargain, Michelangelo," said Keagan. "You _could_ rush me, of course. Perhaps even overpower me. But your friend would die. Is that what you really want?"

"Let her _go_, Keagan, or I swear I'll…"

Justin's cool gaze turned to Casey. "It seems you've taken quite a liking to my little assistant," he said coolly. Josephine went quite pale as his eyes caressed her. "I'll tell you what. The turtles will return to their enclosure. Once they are safely secured, you may all leave. Including Josephine. I'll find another, more willing participant, for my research."

"We ain't leavin' here wit'out my buddies, Keagan," growled Casey.

"I'm afraid you have no choice."

April closed her eyes. _If I can just be quick enough… _She pictured what she needed to do in her mind. Reach up, catch his arm. Throw her weight forward, and heave him over her shoulder. _He might still shoot me, but it will give the guys a chance to act, a chance to attack. He's not putting them back in that cage. They'll get out. They'll be safe. Raphael will live… they'll all live. Don't think, April, just do it. Ok, one, two…_

April never reached 'three'. Keagan stiffened suddenly, going rigid behind her. He gasped, a high, wheezing sound. The pistol faltered and clattered to the floor. His arm fell away from her waist, and he crumpled to the ground. April instinctively threw herself forward, away from the man and out of his grasp. She whirled around, to see him fall to one side. He twitched violently, and was still.

"April!" Leonardo, Casey, and Donatello all rushed forward. Casey nearly dropped Josephine in his rush to get to the redhead, to shield her from the mad man, but Justin Keagan would not be harming anyone. Not ever again.

Splinter stood behind the heap on the floor, staring down at the man who'd taken his sons, who'd nearly cost Raphael his life. A hypodermic was sticking out of the back of Keagan's neck, the plunger down and the contents emptied into his bloodstream.

Splinter looked up at the ring of shocked eyes. "I believe he intended it for Raphael," he said in an oddly calm voice. "It was in his pocket."

"Father." Leonardo spoke first, coming forward, holding out his hands. Splinter walked around Keagan's still form as if it were no more than an unimportant obstacle, and embraced his son. Michelangelo joined the hug. Tears streamed down April's face as she watched the happy reunion. Only Donatello was absent from the emotional scene. Realizing he was working frantically on his still-silent brother, April turned and rushed to the table.

"How can I help, Donny?"

"He's been given another sedative. Probably to keep him quiet while Keagan prepared the..." Donatello shook his head. "I'll need 30 cc's of that." He pointed to a vial on the counter.

"I'll get it."

"Thanks, April."

"Anytime, Don." she smiled into his worried brown eyes. "Anytime."


	31. Epilogue

_Epilogue  
~~~_

"Catch me if you can, Raphie!" Michelangelo darted across the rooftop, laughing gleefully.

"_Mikey_," yelled Raph, "I'm gonna take da shell offa _you_ if ya don't get back here an' take dis _sign_ offa my shell, you bone-head!"

Leonardo let loose with a rare laugh.

"What's it say, Leo?" asked Don, landing lightly on the roof beside his brother.

"'Kick me', what else?" Leonardo grinned.

Donatello shook his head, but he was smiling. "Are you going to stop him?"

"What, and spoil Mikey's fun? No, I swear he loves outrunning Raph as much as he loves pranking him."

"He sure gets enough practice."

"Hey, Don, do you want to get a pizza and stop in at Josephine's? We could surprise her."

"That sounds like a great idea. This is her free night, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I think so. Carrying the double major in Biology and Medical Ethics keeps her busy."

_She was almost the mother of your children._ Donatello shivered. _I can't believe Keagan was going to inseminate her with Leo's DNA. Shell, that guy was _cracked_._

"Leo?"

"Yeah?"

"You ever think about what it'd be like? You know, to… actually have kids?"

Leonardo's dark eyes regarded his brother. Don looked away, feeling a blush creep up his cheeks. _Aw, shell... Sometimes I let my mouth get ahead of my brain, don't I?_

Leonardo sighed. "Yes," he said levelly. "Someday, with the right girl… I mean, what Keagan said, that it was possible…"

"It would be amazing," said Donatello quietly. "From a genetics standpoint alone… I mean, what Keagan wanted to do was evil, of course. But I wish I could've talked to Karen Johansson a little more."

"Yeah, if she didn't want to strap us to a table and take samples, I'm sure she'd be a witty conversationalist," said Leonardo sarcastically.

Don winced. "At least she refused to do what Keagan wanted to Raph…" _And I still can't believe he was going to sacrifice himself for us that way. Idiot. Thank goodness the others got there in time._

"But she gave him the drugs to do it himself." Leonardo met his brother's eyes, and sighed. "I'm sorry, Don. You're right. She was brilliant. It's just too bad she worked for the likes of Keagan."

_It's too bad she couldn't see past our mutation. She thought we were just really smart animals, too._"Yeah. Well, let's go get the guys."

"You know what, Don? I think I'd like to stay in tonight. You know, just do the family thing."

Donatello looked into his brother's dark eyes, seeing the loneliness, the fear, the lines of separation and loss his abduction had carved. Leonardo needed the support, the safety of having his family around him, less and less often but when the need surfaced it was sharp and hungry for the security of the Lair. Retrieving his katanas and Mikey's nunchucks from Hun's warehouse was the beginning of healing his emotional wounds, but it was obvious Leo still needed the comfort of having his family around him in the familiar security of his home, to reassure himself they were all safe, that Keagan could never touch them again.

"Actually, Leo, that sounds great. I could just about go for a sausage-and-mushroom pizza with extra cheese about now."

Leonardo smiled. "Let's go home, bro."

Donatello smiled fondly at his oldest brother. _Yeah, Leo. Home is where we belong._

_

* * *

_**A/N: **

**Well, here we are at the very end. I hope you've enjoyed reading this fic as much as I've enjoyed writing it!**

**I want to take a moment to once again thank _Raphfreak_, my faithful Beta-reader, friend, and all-around amazing author. Once again, please be sure to check out her profile for information on her art contest!**

**And another thank-you goes out to all the faithful readers and reviewers who've made this my most-reviewed fic. **

**Special thanks to:  
_  
Candelight_- for being my first-ever reviewer here at Fanfic, and for allowing me to "meet" Splinter in one of her fics. It was a thrill and a great honor, and I'm still swooning. ;)  
_  
Lion of Judah_- for her attempts to protect Don from this crazy dress-wielding author  
(_Donny_: where was she during Donatello's Paradise?!  
_Mikell: _LOL Aww, Donny, you know we love you!)  
_  
54 Viruses_- for leaving my favorite review for chap 17: "Sorry Raph, not a little, and no mebbe".  
_  
WebMistressGina _and _Sakkashinn_ for their detailed comments and grammar help.  
_  
Ramica_, whose review pushed this fic over the 200 mark**,

**And to the many faithful readers who reviewed regularly for their kind words: _  
YoTicTac13, DarkRose-Karma, Scotia60, Sabra Jaguar, Kyarserin Marii, MelodyWinters, Sait4soreyes, LilNinjaWolf, Second daughter of Eve, Repicheep22, SavirtriXLeo, Starblade 12, TigerToa, Eclipsia, Alyssa Felixia, Eridani23, Fey Halfkin, Hitsulover, Polaris'05, JDanielle, _and several others who did not sign their reviews_._  
**

**Finally, to _Lorientmnt_, a small gift: *Raphael turns his amber gaze on Lorientmnt, and slowly, with a smirk, he winks***

heheh.

**Be sure to tune in tomorrow for the opening chapters of _Raph Country_!**


	32. PREVIEW Raph Country

* * *

** PREVIEW- This is Chapter 1 of Raph Country, my next TMNT fic. **

**

* * *

  
**

_Chapter 1 -The Discovery-  
~~~_

Juan Mendez liked Billy Jo Roberts all right. He liked his funny Upstate accent. He liked the way he yelled "Woooo-ee!" when he got excited. He especially liked the kid when he had a little money and was in the mood to party, which was most of the time. But most of all, he liked Billy Jo's stories about hunting, about the woods, about how it wasn't such a big deal that Juan's brother had shot a man, because it wasn't so very different from shooting a deer, which Billy Jo had done himself dozens of times, growing up in the farm country upstate.

Billy Jo seemed to come from a different planet to Juan and he thought, someday, when his brother was out of jail, when Mama was better and when his little sister was old enough to be married and have babies of her own, some day Juan wanted to visit that planet. The way Billy Jo talked, where he grew up, everybody had guns, but they had better things to shoot at than each other.

The girls were pretty and liked a good man, a strong man who would take care of them. He would be respected for his prowess in a fight, not be called a punk, chased down by the cops with their cold stares and handcuffs. Yes, Billy Jo's world was one Juan wanted to visit one day. He just didn't know the day would come so soon, or that it would be quite such a strange and wild ride.

The night didn't start out differently than any other night. They hit a few bars, met a few girls. Billy, with his blond hair and blue eyes, even got a couple phone numbers. Juan got drunk. Billy Jo wasn't far behind him. Four AM found them cruising down Hollywood Boulevard, bored and looking for something to do. The streets were relatively quiet. The city never truly slept, but it took cat-naps at times and this was one of those times. When Billy Jo swerved to the side of the road, putting the car's tires up on the curb, Juan shot him a sullen, annoyed look.

"Hey, Billy, whatcha doin, _amigo_?" he drawled.

"I t'ought I saw somefin." Billy's words slurred and he squinted, staring into the alley.

"Ya saw the bottom of a tequila bottle," said Juan, smirking.

"No. No, man, I thought I saw somebody layin' down in the alley. Takin' a nap. Let's go see."

Juan shook his head. "Nah, it's just some bum."

"No, man, it's weird, but… Just come on. I thought I saw somethin' weird."

"You go, man. I'm not messin' with no bum."

Billy jumped out of the truck. Juan watched his friend, laughing to himself. Billy'd had too much to drink. He was acting funny, even walking differently, on the balls of his feet. Juan couldn't hear his footsteps through his open window. Billy stalked into the alley. This would be _mui_ funny to tease him about tomorrow.

"Holy… Juan, come here! You gotta see dis t'ing!"

"What'd you find, Billy? Another bottle of tequila? Better leave it alone, you've had enough," teased Juan, opening his door.

He staggered a little as his feet found the pavement, but managed not to fall. He walked down the alley toward his friend. Billy was standing over something in the alley, staring at it, his face white. Juan looked down at the huddled bundle on the ground and recoiled. There was blood pooling around the fallen body.

"He's dead, Billy. Come on, _muchacho_. Come away. He's just a bum. Somebody bashed his head in, is all. Come away, now and let the _policia_ deal with it."

"No, Juan, _look_."

"I don't wanna see no dead guy's brains. It's bad luck," said Juan, trying a weak joke. "Makes you puke." But he leaned over and looked. He fell back, swearing and crossing himself. "What… what… what _is_ dat, man?" he cried, suddenly dangerously close to sober.

"I… I t'ink it's a… turtle," whispered Billy. He leaned down and grabbed the thing's hand. "It's cold. I think it's dead."

"Billy, man, don't _touch_ it!"

"I never saw one dis big," said Billy. "Chill, dude, it's just a dead turtle."

"Yeah, well, I hear of these turtles. There are more. An' if we don't get outta here, they'll come and t'ink we killed dis one. Let's go."

"No, wait. I know a guy… Juan, this one's already dead, right? An' we got the car right here. Let's take it. I know a guy, back home, he'd pay good money for this thing."

"What?"

"Mr. Reeds, he's a taxidermist. He shoots animals and mounts 'em. Sometimes he does mounts for other people, too. He likes weird stuff. He'd pay a fortune for this thing. Come on, help me get it in the car."

"Oh, no, man, I ain't touchin' dat t'ing." Juan shuddered, backing away.

"Come on, Juan, don't be such a baby. You want to pay for your ma's medicine or not? I'm tellin' ya, this thing is worth a fortune. All we gotta do is get it to him. We could be there tonight and come back tomorrow."

"It's worth that much?" Juan thought of the expensive little pills his mother needed and the hours she'd spent crying last night after talking to that man from the insurance company.

"Yeah, it's worth thousands. I'm sure of it."

"Well… Ok." He grabbed the thing's shell, avoiding touching its skin. It was wrapped in a trench coat, which made it easier to ignore the blood and the weird shape of its hands and feet. They heaved it into the back seat of Billy's car. Billy had to come around and tuck its legs in. Juan wasn't about to touch it. It made his skin crawl just to look at it.

Billy rubbed his hands on his jeans, wiping the blood off without so much as a second thought. "We're gonna be rich, Juan. You'll see."

"Enough to pay for Mama's medicine," said Juan softly.

"More than enough, bro." Billy put his hand on Juan's shoulder. Juan looked into the clear blue eyes.

"Ok. Let's go." he said. The boys climbed into the front seat and rolled away.

"Billy, dis t'ing's gonna stink. We can't go all da way Upstate wit' it in your car," said Juan. "What if somebody sees it?"

"Well, what about your brother's truck?"

"I can get da keys," said Juan. "But we can't tell Mama. She shouldn't get upset."

"Well, let's just tell her we're goin' to visit my sister. You know she likes Jo."

Juan blushed. "Yeah. She likes her ok." Johanna had come for a visit last summer. Mamma had been taken with her. Juan liked her blond hair and blue eyes, but there was something hard, something cold about her. She lacked the softness he liked in a woman. He liked less sass and more curves in a girl.

Billy pulled up at Juan's place and Juan ran up the stairs two at a time. Mamma was still awake, as he'd known she would be. She didn't sleep much at all these days and she'd never slept when he was out with Billy. She waited. She always waited.

"Mamma." he kissed her cheek and met her sharp dark eyes.

"Where you been?" she asked. The lack of accusation in her voice was almost worse than if she'd shouted at him for coming in so late.

"I was with Billy, Mamma. He's homesick. He misses his family. We're gonna drive upstate tonight, ok? He wants to see his sister. She's leavin' tomorrow, he wants to see her before she goes back to college, ok? Can we take Jose's truck?"

"You gonna see that nice girl?" Rosita's eyes lit up.

"Yeah, Mamma." Juan's heart twisted, just a little, with the lie, but he thought of his Mamma's medicine to ease his conscience. "So, can we take the truck?"

"_Si_, darling. Drive slowly. Be careful and come home safe to me."

"We will, Mamma. We will. I love you." Juan grabbed the keys and dashed down the stairs to where Billy was waiting. He already had the turtle-thing in the back of the truck, the doors closed. Juan tossed him the keys and they drove off, carrying Raphael away from the city, away from his family, away from his home.

_I hope this thing is worth the money,_ thought Juan. _Mamma needs her pills._

***

Raphael's eyes flickered and he moaned.

_Shell, my leg _hurts._ Guess I shouldn'ta jumped down on dat Purple Dragon from da fire escape. Wait a minute… where da shell am I? Feels like I'm movin'. A truck? But I ain't tied up. What's goin' on? I gotta get outta here._

He sat up._Whoa._ He threw out his hands, fear surging. _Felt like da truck was tippin' over for a minute. Guess dat bat hit my head pretty hard. Wonder if I got a concussion. I'm pro'ably lucky if dat's all I got. Donny'll have me in bed for a week._

Raph smiled at the mental image of his brother's scowl. _Guess I oughta quit givin' him so much to worry about. He's turnin' into a regular Leo. He'll give 'imself an ulcer. Let's see… how do I get outta here?_

Raph staggered to his feet, but fell flat on his shell again as the truck slowed suddenly. _Shell. Better get outta here 'fore somebody decides to check on da cargo. Lose the coat, it's hard to fight in it… Hey, I've still got my sais. Not too bright, are they? Ah, here's da latch._

He popped the small lever up with a loud click and the door swung open. Raphael tipped forward and felt himself falling. Instinctively, he tucked his head and put out his arms, rolling in a somersault to break his fall. He hissed with pain as the rough pavement scraped skin from his forearms. He rolled to the left, out of the road.

_Oh shell! _

He'd rolled right over an edge and he was falling, rolling, tumbling. He grabbed at the tufts of grass brushing his arms and legs, slowing his fall and crashed to a halt, winded, bruised, scratched and bleeding, at the bottom of the steep embankment.

_Shell, dat hurts._ He clutched his thigh, gritting his teeth against a hiss of pain. Blood seeped through his fingers and he felt a sharp stinging as he explored the edges of the gaping wound. Pulling off his arm-bands, he pushed the edges of the wound together and knotted the silk bands over his thigh. He heard voices from the roadway above and froze, listening.

"Hey, Juan, it's gone!"

"What? Where could it go?"

"It musta fell out. We gotta go back."

Juan swore.

"Wait, is that blood?" The first voice was calmer, not as panicked as Juan's. Raph cursed silently.

"Billy, Dude, it was dead," said Juan.

"Yeah, but here's a blood spot. An' it's gone. I don't think it was dead."

"We gotta get outta here!"

"No, man, we've gotta find it."

"Are you nuts? We gotta get outta here 'fore _it_ finds _us._"

"I'll get a light."

Raph's hands tightened on his sais, a low growl rumbling in his throat. They sounded like kids and not-very-bright kids at that. He didn't want to have to kill them.

"Are you _loco_?" Juan's voice went high with nerves. "I'm not goin' lookin' fer dat t'ing out here in da dark! If it's alive, it's gonna be _pissed_!" Car tires crunched on the gravel and a door slammed. Raph shrank lower into the brush.

"Everything ok here, boys?"

"Oh, sure, Officer," replied Billy. "The back door swung open when we stopped for the light, see? We stopped to close it and make sure it's secure this time."

"Looks like your latch popped open. You boys making a delivery?" The cop sounded amused rather than suspicious.

"No, Sir, see, it's empty." Raph saw a flash of light. "We're just goin' to visit my sister in Owego. She's leavin' for college tomorrow."

"Ok, well, now that door is latched tight. You boys have a good night.'

"You too, Officer and thanks." The car door slammed again. Raph heard the boys messing around with the truck doors.

"We'll come back in the morning." He heard Billy say. "We can crash at my Pa's place. He only lives about ten minutes from here. The thing was hurt pretty bad, it won't get far." He heard the doors slam and the truck's engine roar to life Gravel crunched and Raph caught a whiff of exhaust as they drove off..

_Good choice, boys,_ thought Raph with a smirk. _Guess I can't just lie here. I'll hafta get movin'. _He groaned, forcing himself to his feet and looked around. The first thing he noticed was a lack of streetlights. He looked up. The stars were dazzlingly bright. _Definitely not the city. How long was I out, anyway? _ He began to walk, staggered and fell, swearing as his injured leg collapsed under him. He lay still, shivering and sweating, for a while. _I can't just lay here. I gotta keep movin'. _He got up again and staggered forward. He made three half-hopping steps before the dirt crumbled out from under his feet and he pitched forward with a yell. Instead of crashing into dirt, rocks and leaves, he plunged into icy water, which filled his mouth, nose and throat.

Raph thrashed, lifting his head, instinctively gasping as he broke the surface. He coughed up the muddy water, spitting and choking as he gasped the cool air into his lungs. The current whirled, dragging him along down stream. He paddled, concentrating on keeping himself afloat, allowing the current to carry him along, as he made his way slowly toward the opposite shore.

_I gotta get outta dis water, it's too cold._ Already the shock of his injuries and the cold were dragging at his limbs, making them feel heavy, leaden. Raph paddled harder, until he felt sandy bottom under his feet. He dragged himself up onto the gritty shore, panting. _Got… to… keep… moving…_ He hauled himself forward, up and out of the water. He could barely feel his feet. Even his leg didn't hurt now- it was too numb to feel anything. _Donny's gonna kill me for gettin' my shell-cell wet, _was his last thought before the darkness claimed him.


End file.
